Fairport Convention

[fox69]

"London River"

"London River"


London River, oh the London River
All the love I have I'll give her
London River, oh the London River
That's the river for me

First time that I set my eyes upon her
Tell no lie, upon my honour
Sights and sounds that made my heart a-shiver
Then I saw her on the London River...

London River, oh the London River
All the love I have I'll give her
London River, oh the London River
That's the river for me

Signed to my master in the 1930s
The hours were long and the work was dirty
Out in the indies where the Rum is brewed
Had me a drop and got me kidneys too

London River, oh the London River
All the love I have I'll give her
London River, oh the London River
That's the river for me

Signed for a while on the old rasover
Some of them stewards they'll blow you over
Lipstick and Makeup, and all that muck
Walk like a woman and they call you duck

London River, oh the London River
All the love I have I'll give her
London River, oh the London River
That's the river for me

First time that I set my eyes upon her
Tell no lie, upon my honour
Sights and sounds that made my heart a-shiver
Then I saw her on the London River...

London River, oh the London River
All the love I have I'll give her
London River, oh the London River
That's the river for me

 

[fox69]

"Lord Marlborough"

"Lord Marlborough"


You generals all and champions bold that takes delight in fields
That knocks down churches and castle walls but now to death must yield
We must go and face our daring foes and with a sword and shield
I often fought with my merry men but now to death must yield
I am an Englishman by birth, Lord Marlborough is my name
And I was brought up in London town, a place of noted fame
I was beloved by all my men, kings and princes likewise
And then all the towns we took to all the world's surprise
King Charles the Second I did serve to face our foes in France
And at the battle of Ramillies we boldly did advance
The sun was down, the earth did quake, so loudly did he cry
"Fight on, my boys, for old England's sake, we'll conquer or we'll die"
But now we gain for victory and bravely kept the field
We took great numbers of prisoners and forced them all to yield
That very day my horse got shot, 'twas by a musket ball
And as I mounted up again, my aide-de-camp did fall
Now I on a bed of sickness lie, I am resigned to die
You generals and champions bold stand true as well as I
"Stand true my lads and fight no man but fight with courage bold"
I led my men through smoke and fire but ne'er was slight with gold

 

[fox69]

"Lord Marlborough (Live)"

"Lord Marlborough (Live)"


You generals all and champions bold that takes delight in fields
That knocks down churches and castle walls but now to death must yield
We must go and face our daring foes and with a sword and shield
I often fought with my merry men but now to death must yield
I am an Englishman by birth, Lord Marlborough is my name
I was brought up in London town, a place of noted fame
I was beloved by all my men, by kings and princes likewise
And then all the towns we took to all the world's surprise
King Charles the Second I did serve to face our foes in France
And at the battle of Ramillies we boldly did advance
The sun was up, the earth did quake, so loudly did he cry
"Fight on, my boys, for old England's sake, we'll conquer or we'll die"
But now we gain for victory and bravely kept the field
We had great numbers of prisoners and forced them all to yield
That very day my horse got shot, 'twas by a musket ball
And as I mounted up again, my aide-de-camp did fall
Now I on a bed of sickness lie, I am resigned to die
You generals and champions bold stand true as well as I
"Stand true my lads and fight no man but fight with courage bold"
I led my men through smoke and fire but ne'er was slight with gold

 

[fox69]

"Love At First Sight"

"Love At First Sight"


Put down as a loner with a taste for things that feel
This darkness in her nature that could not be concealed
Affection for the phony kinds, longing for romance
She had a sense of hallowed ground, she joined a Morris Band

Deep down damnation drove her, she has to find that magic
She dressed herself in man's attire, as long as it was white
Hid away her shape before hiding all the signs
Found a lonely village, wants to join the Morris Band

It was love at first sight (love at first sight)
To this vision in white (vision in white)
Come here, you heartbreaker
She'll be mine

They came from east to west, within the village bounds
To find a spot to use to get ready for the round
She spoke a lot lower than she did the day before
A strange effect was on her as she danced across the floor

It was love at first sight (love at first sight)
To this vision in white (vision in white)
Come here, you heartbreaker
She'll be mine

Thinking she'll be Morris cool, underneath the stair
She has to make that conjure run, she would not kiss and tell
She felt a strange attraction for the way until they left
As he looked into her eyes, her secret was not kept

Oh, take me to the village, we can see the dancers there
Bringing in the steps you'll know, there's something in the air
So he told me I looked good, my looks have really turned the tide
Now they bring their kids along, another Morris side

It was love at first sight (love at first sight)
To this vision in white (vision in white)
Come here, you heartbreaker
She'll be mine

So, true love at first sight (love at first sight)
To this vision in white (vision in white)
Come here, you heartbreaker
She'll be mine, all mine

 

[fox69]

"Madeleine"

"Madeleine"


She was standing there, at the country fair
Sun was on her hair, I could only stare
From the moment when I saw her dancing
Well, I knew she had to be my bride
It was summertime, I was feeling fine
Would she join the line? I took her hand in mine
From the moment when we danced together there
I knew she was to be my bride
We danced in the sun together
Danced in the rain together
Danced when the other folk had gone upon their way
She danced into my heart in such a pretty way
I knew she had to be my bride
While the music played, dancing through the day
We'd so much to say, time just slipped away
From the moment when I saw her dancing
Well, I knew she had to be my bride
She made my courage free, I sat her on my knee
Made a lover's plea, would she marry me?
From the moment when we danced together then
I knew she had to be my bride
We danced in the sun together
Danced in the rain together
Danced when the other folk had gone upon their way
She danced into my heart in such a pretty way
I knew she had to be my bride
Madeleine, the fairest girl I've ever seen
Madeleine, you know what you mean to me
When she danced with me, I was full of glee
We could happily, as a family
From the moment when I saw her dancing
Then I knew she was to be my bride
Came the wedding day, people bright and gay
Music gently played, as our vows we made
From the moment when we danced together then
I knew she had to be my bride
We danced in the sun together
Danced in the rain together
Danced when the other folk had gone upon their way
She danced into my heart in such a pretty way
I knew she had to be my bride
Madeleine, the fairest girl I've ever seen
Madeleine, you know what you mean to me
She was standing there, at the country fair
Sun was on her hair, I could only stare
From the moment when I saw her dancing
Well, I knew she was to be my bride
We danced in the sun together
Danced in the rain together
Danced when the other folk had gone upon their way
She danced into my heart in such a pretty way
I knew she had to be my bride
Madeleine, the fairest girl I've ever seen
Madeleine, you know what you mean to me

 

[fox69]

"Marcie"

"Marcie"


Marcie in a coat of flowers
Steps inside a candy store
Reds are sweet and greens are sour
Still no letter at her door
So she'll wash her flower curtains
Hang them in the wind to dry
Dust her tables with his shirt and
Wave another day goodbye

Marcie's faucet needs a plumber
Marcie's sorrow needs a man
Red is autumn green is summer
Greens are turning and the sand
All along the ocean beaches
Stares up empty at the sky
Marcie buys a bag of peaches
Stops a postman passing by
And summer goes
Falls to the sidewalk like string and brown paper
Winter blows
Up from the river there's no one to take her
To the sea

Marcie dresses warm its snowing
Takes a yellow cab uptown
Red is stop and green's for going
Sees a show and rides back down
Down along the Hudson River
Past the shipyards in the cold
Still no letter's been delivered
Still the winter days unfold
Like magazines
Fading in dusty grey attics and cellars
Make a dream
Dream back to summer and hear how
He tells her
Wait for me

Marcie leaves and doesn't tell us
Where or why she moved away
Red is angry green is jealous
That was all she had to say
Someone thought they saw her Sunday
Window shopping in the rain
Someone heard she bought a one-way ticket
And went west again

 

[fox69]

"Marie La Cordelière"

"Marie La Cordelière"


On the tenth' of August 1512
We passed the headland west of Saint-Mathieu
English galleons
50 strong English galleons
And so it was that I did see
The finest ship I'd ever seen
Marie la Cordelière
Belle Marie la Cordelière
She was so fine, such a sight to see
Sailing high on the summer sea
And I am proud to say that I have seen
Belle Marie la Cordelière
And when the Breton captain he did see
The English flags out on the reach, he cried
"Weigh the anchors high and we will fight
Weigh the anchors high!"
And the Belle Marie came sailing proud
200 canons shining on her sides
15 hundred men prepared to die
15 hundred men
Well the battle raged for many'an hour
Till her decks ran red with blood and we breached her side
Then the captain cried "Though we may die
We'll not surrender her"
Across the heaving deck he ran
In each hand a blazing brand he bore
Into the powder store and he blew her high
He fired the powder store

 

[fox69]

"Matthew, Mark, Luke & John"

"Matthew, Mark, Luke & John"


Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Come down and show us what's wrong
When every word's been sung or spoken
And bygone battles have been lost or won
When all is mended that once was broken
Who crawled will surely run
And when all our creeds and all of our deeds
Are centered on each other's needs
When men are mending harmonies
The world will have begun
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Are you really real, do you love every one?
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Come down and show us what's wrong
If the sins of the father are also the son's
What chance do we have in this game
Everything's blacker, we argue with guns
With money we burn and we maim
And is it all for a reason, this game without end
To be rich, you have to have poor
And is feasting to famine like sitting to standing
Or is there a hole in God's door?
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Are you really real, do you love every one?
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Come down and show us what's wrong
Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul
Are your fingers in your ears, can you hear us at all
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Come down and show us what's wrong

 

[fox69]

"Matty Groves"

"Matty Groves"


A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year
Lord Darnell's wife came into church, the gospel for to hear
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about
And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd
"Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light"
"Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell's wife"
"What if I am Lord Darnell's wife? Lord Darnell's not at home
For he is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said
He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set
And in his hurry to carry the news he bent his breast and ran
And when he came to the broad mill stream he took of his shoes and he swam
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep
When he awoke, Lord Darnell was standing at his feet
Saying "How do you like my feather bed? And how do you like my sheets?
How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?"
"Oh, well I like your feather bed, and well I like your sheets
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep"
"Well, Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried "Get up as quick as you can
It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man"
"Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket-knife"
"Well it's true I have two beaten swords, and they cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse"
"And you will strike the very first blow, and strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Darnell sore
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more
And then Lord Darnell he took his wife and he sat her on his knee
Saying, "Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?"
And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free
"I'd rather kiss from dead Matty's lips, than you with your finery
Lord Darnell he jumped up and loudly he did bawl
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall
"A grave, a grave!" Lord Darnell cried, "to put these lovers in
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin"

 

[fox69]

"Me With You"

"Me With You"


It's nice to sit on the highest cliff
For a minute or two
And it's nice to ride a stallion or go sailing in a galleon
With a good crew
And it's nice to walk the clover
When its wet all over in the morning dew
Did you ever see a dogs nose quiver when the wind blows
That's me with you
Breaking up the fresh bread throwing crumbs on the bed
I'm a lout
Smiling at the wall and tying up a shoestring
I'm going out
Happy as a heffer chewing the cud
Happy as a bubble in mud
Did you ever hear a tune slide swinging from the inside
That's me with you
If you take some yellow add a little bit of blue
You're bound to get green
And if you keep a horse from water sooner or later he turns mean
Well its nice to have a nibble
But don't you go and let it spoil the meal
I'm a feather from a black crow beady on the hedgerow
That's me with you
Well its nice to stroll when the storm is gone
And it all smells new
And its nice to seem wise when you've only surmised
And you haven't really got a clue
When you think you are done and no one sings your song sing blues
Tougher than a toenail tighter than a cats tail
That's me with you
Soft as whiskers on a horse's chin
Just like a Cheshire cat, I'm good with a grin
Like an eight nine ten jack queen with a king
Happy as King Arthur and his magic blade
Sleeping by the lizard in the shade
Happy as a fox out on a midnight raid
Happy as a landlord when his rent gets paid
I'm just like an egg that's fresh I'm newly laid
Yes me with you...