While riding down that greenwood road
There sat a lady who mourned,
And all of her lamentation was,
It was John of the Hazelgreen.

You are welcome with me, kind miss,
You are welcome with me, said he,
And you may have my oldest son
A husband for to be.

I don't want your oldest son,
He's neither lord nor king.
I intend to be the bride of none
But John of Hazelgreen.

*For he's tall and his shoulders broad,
He's the lord of all our kin.
His hair hangs down like the links of gold,
He's John of the Hazelgreen.

While riding down that lengthy lane,
That lane that leads to town,
O up stepped John of the Hazelgreen
And helped his lady down.

Forty times he kissed her rudy lips
And forty times he kissed her chin,
And forty times he kissed her ruby lips
And let his lady in.


(* This stanza was moved by Sharp from before verse 3 to after it)

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: M Yates et Al, Dear Companion, EFDSS, 2004

Notes:
Sung by Lloyd Fizgerald at Nash, Nelson County, Virginia, 9 May 1918. More extensive notes can be found in Dear Companion.

Roud: 250 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: 293

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Related Songs:  Jock o' Hazeldean (thematic)