Bill Norrie - Martin Carthy

Young bill norrie's a fine

Lad and he lives like

The wind

Eyes shine like the silver

Or gold in morning sun

Oh friend John and dear

John and do you see

What I see

Yonder stand the first woman

That ever loved me

And here's a glove a glove

John it's lined with

The silver grey

Give it to her and tell

Her to come to

Her young billy

And here is a ring a ring

John it's all

Gold but the stone

Give it to her and tell her

To ask for

Leave of none

Oh friend billy dear billy

You know my love for

Thee

I'll not go to nobody to

Steal their wife away

Oh friend John dear John

Swim not against the tide

Be with me in the stream

John for I will

Be obeyed

John ran down to the high

House and he rang

Low at the door

Who was there but this woman

To let young johnny

In

Here is a glove a glove

Lady lined with silver

Grey

Bids you come to greenwood

To meet your young billy

And here is a ring a ring

Lady all gold

But the stone

Bids you come to greenwood

And ask for leave of

None

Husband stood in the shadow

And an angry man was

He

I never thought the man

Lived my love loved more

Than me

So he's gone down to her

Room and he dressed

In her array

Like some woman he's gone

Down to find this young

Billy

Young billy sat in the greenwood

And he whistled and

He sang

Yonder come the woman that

I have loved so long

Billy ran down and down

There to meet her where

She came

Oh the sight that he saw

His heart grew still

As stone

Billy ran down and down

There to help her from

The horse

Oh and oh he cries out

Woman was never so

Gross

Husband he had a long knife

It hung down his

Knee

He took the head of young

Billy and off his

Fair body

And he's run home and home

There and down into

His hall

Tossed billy's head to her

Crying lady catch the ball

And she's taken up the head

There she kissed it

Cheek and chin

I love better this head

Than all my kith and

Kin

And she's taken up the head

There she hugged it

To her womb

Once I was full of this

Boy as the plum

Is of the stone

And when I was in my

Dad's house and my

Virginity

A young man come to

My room and we got

Young billy

And I've loved him in

My room in secrecy and

Shame

I loved him in the greenwood

All out in wind

And rain

And I will kiss his sweet

Head and I will

Kiss his chin

I will vow and stay true

And I'll ne'er kiss

Man again

And up and spoke the

Husband and a sad sad

Man was he

If I had known he was

Your son he would

Not be killed by me

If I had known he was

Your son he would

Not've been killed by me