Lochmaben Harper
Martin Carthy;Dave Swarbrick
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Lyrics
There was a harper, an old blind harper
He lived in Lochmaben town
And a wager he laid with Lord and Lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown
There he sat in the pub on an evening
He was drunk and drinking wine
A wager he laid with Lord and Lady
Steal Henry's wanton brown
One of them paid him a house and land
And the other one bet five thousand pound
And how they laughed as the silly blind harper
Ran off to steal the wanton brown!
Up and spoke this harper's wife
And oh, what a wily one was she!
"Go take the mare that's newly foaled
Leave the babe and home with me"
He took his harp all in his hand
He ran playing all round the town
And the King, high in his high window
His ears were touched by all that sound
"Come in, come in now you John Harper
More of your music we would hear"
"Yes, that I will," says John Harper
"But I must have stabling for my mare"
"You go down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And you can leave a warm and snug one
Next to my own wanton brown"
He's gone down to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And there he spied the stable snug
Where stately stood the wanton brown
And he took out a good strong halter
How the horse come to his call!
As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose
Tied the end to his mare's tail
And he has played in the King's high hall
And he has played him deep asleep
And he's gone down to his hands and knees
And he crawled into the street
And he's away to the outer court
That stands a bit below the town
And the court slept as he led out the mare
Tied safe to the wanton brown
"You run through moss, you run through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And don't you let this wanton slack
Till you get home to your own foal"
Soon as the door he has unshut
The mare ran prancing down the town
And there behind, keeping close
She towed the stately wanton brown
Ran through moss, they ran through mire
Through many's the bog and the lairy hole
And she never let this wanton slack
Till she got home to her own foal
John played in the King's high hall
Till the King called him in a loudy cry
"Awake, wake now you John Harper
We have slept till nearly day!
Get up, get up now you John Harper
More of your music we would hear"
"Yes, that I will," says John Harper
"But I must go see to my grey mare"
He's gone down to the outer court
And back he's come with bennies the tear
"Thieves broke in the outer court
Stole away my good grey mare"
"Oh, my soul!" and cries the King
"If there be thieves all in this town
And they have taken your grey mare
Then they have stolen the wanton brown
Play, play now you John Harper
Give me music to my ear
And I will pay you for your song
And three times for your grey mare"
John played and John got paid
And John ran playing all from the town
Never did King Henry think
He'd stolen away his wanton brown
The lords stood at the high town wall
And they beheld both dale and town
There they spied this John Harper
Come walking back down to the town
"Oh, my soul!" and cries the lord
"How come you come home so soon?
Oh, we see you no grey mare
Still you have no wanton brown"
"I lie," then cries the boy
"I took him so suddenly
I was paid for my music
And three times for my grey mare"
He took them to his own stable
Opened wide the door he sprung
"There's the mare, there's the foal
And there's the stately wanton brown"
And one paid out his house and land
And the other one paid five thousand pound
And how he laughed, did John Harper
Who stole away the wanton brown!