King Henry by The Furrow Collective Lyrics
Let never a man a-wooing wend
That lacks these virtues three:
A routh of gold, an open heart
A cup of charity
King Henry's taken him to his hall
For to make burly cheer
When loud the wind was heard to sound
An earthquake rocked the floor
And darkness covered all the hall
Where they sat at their meat
The greyhounds, yowling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet
And louder howled the rising wind
Burst the fastened door
In there camе a grisly ghost
Stood stamping on the floor
Her hair was hanging at her heels
Strеaming with the rain
She said, “It has been seven long years
Since I felt fires flame.”
Her teeth were like the tether stakes
Hideous was her form
He's thrown to her his mantle
Saying, “Lady, come into the warm.”
“Some meat, some meat, King Henry
Some meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your good greyhounds
And bring them here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his good greyhounds
How his heart was sore
She ate them up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair
“More meat, more meat, King Henry
More meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your gay goshawk
And bring it here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his gay goshawk
How his heart was sore
She ate it up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but feathers there
“More meat, more meat, King Henry
More meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your berry-brown steed
And bring it here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his berry-brown steed
How his heart was sore
She ate it up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair
“Now a drink, a drink, King Henry
A drink you give to me!”
“Oh, what drink's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, sew you up your horse's hide
And bring a drink to me!”
So he sewed up the bloody hide
A wine he has put in
She drank it up all in one sip
Ne'er a drop left in the skin
“Now a bed, a bed, King Henry
Now make for me a bed!
Pull from the heather so green
And over with your mantle spread.”
So he has pulled of the heather green
Made for her a bed
He's taken his mantle gold
And over he has spread
“Now take off your clothes, King Henry
And lie down by my side!”
“That I forbid,” King Henry said
“That ever the like betide!
That ever a fiend from out of hell
Should lie down by my side!”
But as he spoke a bloody tear
Trickled from her eye
Softer grew King Henry's heart
And down he went with her side
When night was gone and day was come
And the sun shone through the hall
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall
“Oh well is me,” says Henry
How long will this vision last?”
And up and spoke the lady fair
“Till all your days are past.”
“For I was witched to a ghastly shape
By my step-mother's skill
Till I should meet with a corteous knight
That gave me all I will.”
“And I've met many's the gentle man
That's given me such fill
But never before with such a man
Who's given me all I will.”
Let never a man a-wooing wend
That lacks these virtues three:
A routh of gold, an open heart
A cup of charity
That lacks these virtues three:
A routh of gold, an open heart
A cup of charity
King Henry's taken him to his hall
For to make burly cheer
When loud the wind was heard to sound
An earthquake rocked the floor
And darkness covered all the hall
Where they sat at their meat
The greyhounds, yowling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet
And louder howled the rising wind
Burst the fastened door
In there camе a grisly ghost
Stood stamping on the floor
Her hair was hanging at her heels
Strеaming with the rain
She said, “It has been seven long years
Since I felt fires flame.”
Her teeth were like the tether stakes
Hideous was her form
He's thrown to her his mantle
Saying, “Lady, come into the warm.”
“Some meat, some meat, King Henry
Some meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your good greyhounds
And bring them here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his good greyhounds
How his heart was sore
She ate them up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair
“More meat, more meat, King Henry
More meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your gay goshawk
And bring it here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his gay goshawk
How his heart was sore
She ate it up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but feathers there
“More meat, more meat, King Henry
More meat you give to me!”
“Oh, what meat's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, you can kill your berry-brown steed
And bring it here to me!”
Oh, when he slew his berry-brown steed
How his heart was sore
She ate it up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair
“Now a drink, a drink, King Henry
A drink you give to me!”
“Oh, what drink's in this house, Lady
That I can give to thee?”
“Oh, sew you up your horse's hide
And bring a drink to me!”
So he sewed up the bloody hide
A wine he has put in
She drank it up all in one sip
Ne'er a drop left in the skin
“Now a bed, a bed, King Henry
Now make for me a bed!
Pull from the heather so green
And over with your mantle spread.”
So he has pulled of the heather green
Made for her a bed
He's taken his mantle gold
And over he has spread
“Now take off your clothes, King Henry
And lie down by my side!”
“That I forbid,” King Henry said
“That ever the like betide!
That ever a fiend from out of hell
Should lie down by my side!”
But as he spoke a bloody tear
Trickled from her eye
Softer grew King Henry's heart
And down he went with her side
When night was gone and day was come
And the sun shone through the hall
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall
“Oh well is me,” says Henry
How long will this vision last?”
And up and spoke the lady fair
“Till all your days are past.”
“For I was witched to a ghastly shape
By my step-mother's skill
Till I should meet with a corteous knight
That gave me all I will.”
“And I've met many's the gentle man
That's given me such fill
But never before with such a man
Who's given me all I will.”
Let never a man a-wooing wend
That lacks these virtues three:
A routh of gold, an open heart
A cup of charity