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Fair Annie

[ Roud 42 ; Child 62 ; Ballad Index C062 ; trad.]

Fair Annie was told by Marie de France in Lai del Freisne about 1200, and has migrated across Europe, “not appearing in the Scottish record until the second half of the 18th century,” according to a note in Bronson. It is the title track of Peter Bellamy's privately issued cassette of 1983, Fair Annie. Peter Bellamy compiled it from versions in Bronson's Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads. This recording was also included in 1999 on the Peter Bellamy anthology Wake the Vaulted Echoes.

Frankie Armstrong sang Fair Annie in 1980 on the LP My Song Is My Own and in 2008 on her CD Engouragement.

Martin Simpson sang Fair Annie in 2001 on his CD The Bramble Briar. He commented in his album notes:

Fair Annie was given to me on a cassette of a show that Peter [Bellamy] did at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. My friend Josh Michaell thought that I might like the song and, indeed, he was right. I looked for other versions, but found nothing so succinct, or with such a sting in the tail. I wonder to what extent Peter altered the lyrics.

Lyrics

Peter Bellamy sings Fair Annie

“Comb back your hair, Fair Annie,” he said,
“Comb it back into your crown.
For you must live a maiden's life
When I bring my new bride home.”

“Oh, how can I look maidenlike
When maiden I am none?
For six fair sons have I had by you
And a seventh coming on?”

“Oh, you will bake my bread,” he said,
“And you will keep my home.
And you will welcome my lady gay
When I bring my bridal home.”

And on the door he's hung a silken towel,
Pinned by a silver pin,
That Fair Annie she might wipe her eyes
As she went out and in.

Now, six months gone and nine comin' on
And she thought the time o'er-long.
So she's taken a spyglass all in her hand
And up to the tower she has run.

She has look-ed east, she has look-ed west,
She has looked all under the sun,
And who should she see but Lord Thomas
All a-bringin' of his bridal home.

So she has called for her seven sons
By one, by two, by three,
And she has said to her eldest son,
“Oh, come tell me what you see.”

So he's look-ed east, he has look-ed west,
He has looked all under the sun.
And who should he see but his father dear,
He was bringin' of his new bride home.

So it's, “Shall I dress in green?” she said,
“Or shall I dress in black?
Or shall I go down to the ragin' main
And send my soul to wrack?”

“Oh, you need not dress in green,” he said,
“Nor you need not dress in black.
But throw you wide the great hall door
And welcome my father back.”

So it's, “Welcome home, Lord Thomas,” she said,
“And you're welcome unto me.
And welcome, welcome, your merry men all
That you've brought across the sea.”

And she's serv-ed them with the best of the wine,
Yes, she's serv-ed them all 'round.
But she's drunk water from the well
For to keep her spirits down.

And she's wait-ed upon them all the livelong day,
And she thought the time o'er long.
Then she's taken her flute all in her hand
And up to her bower she has run.

She has fluted east, she has fluted west,
She has fluted loud and shrill.
She wished that her sons were seven greyhounds
And her a wolf on the hill.

Then, “Come downstairs,” the new bride said,
“Oh, come down the stairs to me.
And tell me the name of your father dear,
And I'll tell mine to thee.”

“Well, King Douglas it was my father's name
And Queen Chatten was my mother;
And Sweet Mary, she was my sister dear
And Prince Henry was my brother.”

“If King Douglas it is your father's name
And Queen Chatten is your mother,
Then I'm sure that I'm your sister dear
As Prince Henry, he is your brother.”

“And I have seven ships out on the sea
They are loaded to the brim.
And six of them will I give to you
And one more to carry me home.
Yes, six of them will I give to you
When we've had Lord Thomas burned!”

Acknowledgements

The lyrics are from the Mudcat Café thread Peter Bellamy recordings?.