> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > When a Man's in Love

When a Man's in Love

[ Roud 990 ; Laws O20 ; Ballad Index LO20 ; trad.]

Paddy Tunney sang When a Man's in Love unaccompanied on his 1965 Topic LP A Wild Bee's Nest: Irish Traditional Ballads. This track was also included in 1998 on the Topic anthology Come Let Us Buy the License (The Voice of the People Volume 1).

A.L. Lloyd sang When a Man's in Love a year later on his 1966 Prestige/Transatlantic LP The Best of A.L. Lloyd too. He commented in the album's sleeve notes:

Anyone seeking an object lesson in the way of the folk with tune could hardly do better than compare a few of the many versions of the Dives and Lazarus (or Star of the County Down) melody. When a Man's in Love is a particular fine variant of this tune which, it is said, was the one “most frequently heard in the streets of London in the mouths of men seeking employment” in the 19th century. It's another of the tunes for which England is indebted to generous Ireland. Printed versions of the song show it has spread (from Ulster?) at least as far as Nova Scotia.

And Chris Foster recorded this song for his 1977 Topic album Layers and for his 2003 CD Traces.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings When a Man's in Love

When a man's in love he knows no cold
Like me not long ago.
To see his girl like a hero bold,
He'll plough through frost and snow.
The moon she'd gently shed her light
Along me weary way,
Until I came to that sweet place
Where all my treasure lay.

I knocked at my love's window,
Saying, “My dear, are you within?”
And softly then she drew the bolt
And slyly I slipped in.
Her breath was sweet, her hands was neat,
Her tongue did gently glide,
As I gave her a kiss and I surely didn't miss
And I asked to be my bride

“Take me to your bedroom, dear,
Oh, take me to your bed.
Take me to your bedroom, dear,
To rest my weary head.”
“To take you to my bedroom, dear,
My parents they'd never agree,
So please sit by the bright fireside
And I'll sit close to thee.”

“Many long month I've courted you
Against your parent's will.
You never once said you'd be my bride
So now my love be still.
Tomorrow I am going to cross the sea
To far Newfoundland shore,
And you will never, never see
Your faithful lover no more.”

“Oh are you going to leave me now?
Whatever shall I do?
I'll break every bond of love,
My darling to please you.
Perhaps my parents may forgive
Or surely may forget
But I'm resolved this very hour
To take you to my bed.”

Well with a kiss the bond was sealed,
Our joys they did come down.
From courtship scarce I was released
As we became as one.
Though all outside was frost and cold,
Two fires they burned within,
And we rolled there together in that sweet place
Until the day did dawn.

Chris Foster sings When a Man's in Love

When a man's in love he feels no cold, like me not long ago,
Like a hero bold, to see his girl, he'll plough through frost and snow.
The moon she gently shed her light along my dreary way,
Until I came to that sweet spot where all my treasure lay.

I knocked at my love's window, thinking, “Me dear, are you within?”
And softly she undid the latch, and slyly I slipped in.
Her hand was soft and her breath was sweet, her tongue did gently glide,
I stole a kiss, it was no miss, and I asked her to be my bride.

“Take me to your chamber, love, take me to your bed,
Take me to your chamber, love, to rest my weary head.”
“To take you to my chamber, love, my parents they won't agree,
But sit you down by yon bright fire and I will sit close by thee.”

“Many is the time I courted you against your father's will,
But you never once said that you would be my bride, so now my dear sit still,
Tonight I am going to cross the sea, to far Columbia's shore,
And you will never never see your youthful lover more.

“Many is the dark and stormy night I came to visit you,
Whether tossed about by cold winter winds, or wet by the morning dew.
Tonight our courtship is at an end between my love and me,
So fare you well, my favourite girl, a long farewell to thee.”

“And are you going to leave me now, pray what can I do?
I would break through every bond of love to go along with you.
Perhaps my parents won't forget, but maybe they'll forgive -
For from this hour I am resolved along with you to live.”

And then with a kiss the ring was closed, the wedding it's come on,
From courtship's cares they are released, these two were joined in one.
Then with a kiss the ring was closed, the wedding it's come on,
From courtship's cares they are released, these two were joined in one.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Garry Gillard for the lyrics of Chris Foster's version