Lady Margaret / Story and Song / Banjo

Lady Margaret, also known as, "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" (Child 74, Roud 253) is a traditional English ballad. I tell a story about the song then sing and play it on the banjo in the two finger thumb lead style.

Lady Margaret - Lyrics
Banjo tuning - dADGA (Sawmill tuning)
Two Finger Thumb Lead

Lady Margaret sitting in her high hall door
Combing back her long yellow hair
She saw sweet William and his new-made Bride
Riding from the church so near

She threw down her ivory comb
She threw back her long yellow hair
Said I'll go down to bid him farewell
And never more go there

Well it was all lately in the night
They were fast asleep
Lady Margaret appeared all dressed in white
Standing at their bed feet

How do you like your pillow said she
How do you like your sheet
How do you like that fair young maid
Lying in your arms asleep

Very well do I like my pillow says he
Very well do I like my sheet
But better do I like that fair young maiden
Standing at my bed feet

Once he kissed her lily white hand
Twice he kissed her cheek
Three times he kissed her cold corpsey lips
And fell in her arms asleep

Is Lady Margaret in her room?
Or is she in the hall?
No, Lady Margarete's in her cold black coffin
With her pale face to the wall

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Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction - Lady Margaret story
1:29 - Song starts
4:24 - outroduction

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