John Reilly
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ballad
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
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Lyrics:
A fair young maid all in her garden,
A strange young man comes passing by
Saying fair maid, will you marry me
And this answer was her reply
No kind sir, I cannot marry thee
For I've a love who sails all on the sea
He's been gone for seven years
But still no man will I marry
Well what if he's in some battle slain
Or drowned in the deep salt sea
Or what if he's found another love
And he and his love both married be?
If he's in some battle slain
I will die, when the moon doth wane
And if he's drowned in the deep salt sea
I'll be true to his memory
And if he's found another love
And he and his love both married be
Then I wish them health and happiness
Where they now dwell across the sea
He picked her up all in his arms
And kisses gave her one two and three
Saying weep no more my own true love
I am your long lost John Riley.
"John Riley", also known as "Johnny Riley", "The Broken Token" and<br> "A Fair Young Maid All in Her Garden", among other titles is a<br> traditional English folk song (Roud #264). It is not found in<br> the Child collection. The song is derived from Homer's Odyssey,<br> filtered through the 17th century English folk ballad tradition.<br> The song's theme, that of the "disguised true lover", is a theme in <br> a number of traditional folk ballads, genericly known as "The Broken<br> Token" family.<br> "John Riley" was recorded by Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peggy Seeger,<br> The Byrds and others.<br> It was printed in Cecil Sharp's English Folk Songs from the Southern<br> Appalachians (1932), Alan Lomax's The Folk Songs of North America (1960),<br> Pete Seeger's The Bells of Rhymney (1964) and Peggy Seeger's Folk Songs<br> of Peggy Seeger (1964).<br> I learned it from the Joan Baez recording.<br>
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