> Folk Music > Songs > John of Hazelgreen
Jock o' Hazeldean / John of Hazelgreen
[
Roud 250
; Child 293
; Ballad Index C293
; Sir Walter Scott]
Dick Gaughan sang Jock o' Hazeldean in 1972 on his Trailer album, No More Forever. He explained in his album's sleeve notes:
Jock o' Hazeldean was written by Sir Walter Scott from a ballad (which is published in Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs) entitled Jock o' Hazeldean, taking the first verse of his song from the third verse of the ballad.
The Witches of Elswick sang John of Hazelgreen in 2005 on their second and last album, Hell's Belles. They commented in their liner notes:
Fay got this from American singer Molly Andrews who calls it “a pleasing variant collected from Robert Shiflett, Brown's Cove, Virginia, 1961.” We like the bit where he kisses her ruby lips three times, then goes for the chin. We've all tried it out on our boyfriends and it's taken quite a while to get some very strange pictures out of our heads while we sing it.
Lyrics
The Witches of Elswick sing John of Hazelgreen
An old knight rode one summer's day
Down by the greenwood side,
And there he spied a fair young maid
And all alone she cried.
As he drew near there unto her
To learn what this could mean;
Her lamentation it was all
For John of Hazelgreen.
“You're welcome home, my fair young one,
You're welcome home with me;
And you may wed my eldest son,
A bold young man is he.”
“I would not wed your eldest son
If he were lord or king;
I ne'er intend to be the bride of none
Save John of Hazelgreen.
“For he is tall, his shoulders broad,
The fairest of the king;
His hair hangs down in links of gold,
My John of Hazelgreen.”
He's drawn her up unto his steed
And they rode into town;
Up jumped bold John of Hazelgreen
To lift his lady down.
Three times he's kissed her ruby lips,
Three times he's kissed her chin;
He's ta'en her by the lily-white hand
To lead his lady in.
Her tears were dry, her sorrow gone,
But a surprise had been
To learn the old knight's eldest son
Was John of Hazelgreen.
“If I should ever thee forsake
May Heaven forsake me;
And cast me in the brimstone lake
For all eternity.”