False William

Other titles or closely related songs: Lady Isobel/Isabel and the Elf Knight, May Collin, The False Knight Outwitted, The Outlandish Knight

Child #4

There was a proper tall young man, and William was his name

He came across the raging sea, he came a-courting, courting me, he came a-courting me

 

He followed her up he followed her down, he followed her in her room

She had no wings for to fly away, no tongue for to say him say him nay, no tongue for to say him nay

 

She took half of her father's gold, likewise her mother's fee

And taking two of her father’s steeds, for there stood thirty and thirty and three, for there stood 30 and 3

 

She’s mounted on the milk white horse, he’s on the dappled gray

They rode till they came to the briny sea, all on one summer summer’s day, all on one summer’s day

 

Get down get down get down off your horse, get down at my command

Six pretty fair maids have drownded here and the 7th one you shall you shall be, the 7th one you shall be


Hush up you old William, that aint what you promised me

You promised to carry me over the sea it’s there for to marry marry me, it’s there for to marry me

 

Take off take off that gay fine dress and hang it in yonders tree

It being too costly and too fine, for to rot in the briny briny sea, for to rot in the briny sea

 

Then turn you round and push down those nettles, that grow so near the rim

They’ll tangle in my curly hair and tear my lily white lily white skin, and tear my lily white skin

 

While turning round to push down those nettles, that grew so near the rim

This fair young lady so skillfully, she tripped her false love false love in, she tripped her false love in


Lie there lie there you false hearted man, lie there in the place for me

And have nothing so costily nor so fine as to rot in the briny briny sea, to rot in the briny sea

 

She’s mounted on the milk white horse, and leading the dappled gray

Returning to her father’s house, it’s three long hours before it was day, it’s three long hours till day

It starts ominously with William forcing his way into the lady's room, but it ends rather well. This song is not only rare example of a ballad with a happy (or satisfying) ending, but also a rare example of the woman fighting back effectively against the man. The story may not be convincing, of course. Why would the nettles matter when William is about to throw the lady into the sea to drown? In other versions, she says that it is unseemly for a man to see her naked. She tells William to turn around, which he does--again, not very realistic.