Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Lady Margaret / Sweet William's Ghost (Child No. 77) - Sung by Charles O'Boyle (father of folk song collector Sean O'Boyle) of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Recorded by Sean O'Boyle and Peter Kennedy for the BBC on July 7, 1952.
Notes by Peter Kennedy:
Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, vol.VIII no.1, 1956.
"Charles O'Boyle: Age 74 at the time of recording; died shortly afterwards. Father of Sean O'Boyle who worked as a collector for the BBC in Northern Ireland. Charles inherited much of his own singing tradition from his mother, who was born in Donaghadee, Co. Down, where there is a strong Scots tradition, but she lived most of her life in Belfast. He was a teacher, but from 1914-20 (interrupted by the war) studied and worked in Cork with Hardebeck. He became secretary to Hardebeck, who was blind, and made musical and Gaelic transcriptions and translations for him. His work is acknowledged by Hardebeck in the preface to Pt. III of Gems of Melody. (Pigott)." - Peter Kennedy.
A.L. Lloyd commented, "The tune is an interesting Mi pentatonic variant of the ubiquitous Dives and Lazarus tune".
Song transcription:
Lady Margaret sat in her bow window, sewing her silken seam,
When a grievous ghost chanced to pass by, most wonderful to be seen.
"Are you my father Phillip?", she said, "Are you my brother John?
Or are you my true-love Willy, to fair Scotland has come home?"
"I'm not your father Phillip", he said, "nor yet your brother John,
But I'm your true-love Willy, to fair Scotland has come home."
"Did you bring me the gold, dear Willy, did you bring me the lace?
Did you bring me the bonny brown dress, my fair body to embrace?"
"I brought no gold, dear Margaret", he said, "and I forgot the lace,
But now I carry my winding sheet through many's the dreary place.
The cock crew once, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
"Your faith and troth, dear Willy", she said, "you ne'er will get from me
Till you come down to yon bower and give me kisses three".
"The cock crew twice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
"My nose is ate with the worms, dear Margaret, my breath it is mighty strong
And if I would kiss your bonny fair lips your days would not be long.
The cock crew thrice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
She tilted up her bonny brown dress a-far above her knee,
For the lee long length of the dark winter's night the dread corpse followed she.
Until she came to Saint Bernard's churchyard and sat down on a stone
When she saw the grave a-opening to let her Willy in.
[The cock crew thrice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".] *
She lifted up her lily white hand and struck him on the breast.
Saying, "There's your faith and troth, dear Willy, I hope your soul's at rest!"
* As a repetition of an earlier verse these two lines don't make too much sense here. Charles O'Boyle skipped them in a later recording, he sang only the last two lines to the second half of the tune.
Lady Margaret / Sweet William's Ghost (Child No. 77) - Sung by Charles O'Boyle (father of folk song collector Sean O'Boyle) of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Recorded by Sean O'Boyle and Peter Kennedy for the BBC on July 7, 1952.
Notes by Peter Kennedy:
Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, vol.VIII no.1, 1956.
"Charles O'Boyle: Age 74 at the time of recording; died shortly afterwards. Father of Sean O'Boyle who worked as a collector for the BBC in Northern Ireland. Charles inherited much of his own singing tradition from his mother, who was born in Donaghadee, Co. Down, where there is a strong Scots tradition, but she lived most of her life in Belfast. He was a teacher, but from 1914-20 (interrupted by the war) studied and worked in Cork with Hardebeck. He became secretary to Hardebeck, who was blind, and made musical and Gaelic transcriptions and translations for him. His work is acknowledged by Hardebeck in the preface to Pt. III of Gems of Melody. (Pigott)." - Peter Kennedy.
A.L. Lloyd commented, "The tune is an interesting Mi pentatonic variant of the ubiquitous Dives and Lazarus tune".
Song transcription:
Lady Margaret sat in her bow window, sewing her silken seam,
When a grievous ghost chanced to pass by, most wonderful to be seen.
"Are you my father Phillip?", she said, "Are you my brother John?
Or are you my true-love Willy, to fair Scotland has come home?"
"I'm not your father Phillip", he said, "nor yet your brother John,
But I'm your true-love Willy, to fair Scotland has come home."
"Did you bring me the gold, dear Willy, did you bring me the lace?
Did you bring me the bonny brown dress, my fair body to embrace?"
"I brought no gold, dear Margaret", he said, "and I forgot the lace,
But now I carry my winding sheet through many's the dreary place.
The cock crew once, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
"Your faith and troth, dear Willy", she said, "you ne'er will get from me
Till you come down to yon bower and give me kisses three".
"The cock crew twice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
"My nose is ate with the worms, dear Margaret, my breath it is mighty strong
And if I would kiss your bonny fair lips your days would not be long.
The cock crew thrice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".
She tilted up her bonny brown dress a-far above her knee,
For the lee long length of the dark winter's night the dread corpse followed she.
Until she came to Saint Bernard's churchyard and sat down on a stone
When she saw the grave a-opening to let her Willy in.
[The cock crew thrice, dear Margaret", he said, "'tis wearing nearer day.
Come give to me my faith and troth that I once gave to thee".] *
She lifted up her lily white hand and struck him on the breast.
Saying, "There's your faith and troth, dear Willy, I hope your soul's at rest!"
* As a repetition of an earlier verse these two lines don't make too much sense here. Charles O'Boyle skipped them in a later recording, he sang only the last two lines to the second half of the tune.
