Matty Groves

Dm a holiday , a holiday F and the first one of the year C lord darnell’s wife came into the church Dm C Dm the gospel for to hear Dm and when the meeting it was done F she cast her eyes about C and there she saw little matty groves Dm C Dm walking in the crowd Dm "come home with me , little matty groves F come home with me tonight C come home with me , little matty groves Dm C Dm and sleep with me ’til light" Dm "oh , i can’t come home , i won’t come home F and sleep with you tonight C by the rings on your fingers i can tell Dm C Dm you are lord darnell’s wife" Dm "but if i Am lord darnell’s wife F lord darnell’s not at home C he is out in the far cornfields Dm C Dm bringing the yearlings home" Dm and a servant who was standing by F and hearing what was said C he swore lord darnell he would know Dm C Dm before the sun would set Dm and in his hurry to carry the news F he bent his breast and ran C and when he came to the broad mill stream Dm C Dm he took off his shoes and swam Dm little matty groves , he lay down F and took a little sleep C when he awoke lord darnell Dm C Dm was standing at his feet Dm saying "how do you like my feather bed F and how do you like my sheets C how do you like my lady Dm C Dm who lies in your arms asleep?" Dm "oh well , i like your feather bed F and well , i like your sheets C but better i like your lady gay Dm C Dm who lies in my arms asleep" Dm "well , get up , get up" , lord darnell cried F "get up as quick as you can C it’ll never be said in fair england Dm C Dm i slew a naked man" Dm "oh i can’t get up , i won’t get up F i can’t get up for my life C for you have two long beaten swords Dm C Dm and i not a pocket knife" Dm "well it’s true i have two beaten swords F they cost me deep in the purse C but you will have the better of them Dm C Dm and i will have the worse" Dm "and you will strike the very first blow F and strike it like a man C i will strike the very next blow Dm C Dm and i’ll kill you if i can" Dm so matty struck the very first blow F and he hurt lord darnell sore C lord darnell struck the very next blow Dm C Dm and matty struck no more Dm and then lord darnell he took his wife F and he sat her on his knee C saying , "who do like the best of us Dm C Dm matty groves or me?" Dm and then up spoke his own dear wife F never heard to speak so free C "i’d rather a kiss from dead matty’s lips Dm C Dm than you and your finery" Dm lord darnell he jumped up F and loudly he did bawl C he stuck his wife right through the heart Dm C Dm and pinned her against the wall Dm "a grave , a grave" , lord darnell cried F "to put these lovers in C but bury my lady at the top Dm C Dm for she was of noble kin"