> Sandy Denny > Songs > Fairport Convention: Matty Groves

Fairport Convention: Matty Groves

[Trad. arr. Fairport Convention]

The tune used as the basis for the instrumental at the end comes from a banjo piece by Eddie West, and was also used by Martin Carthy in his version of the song Famous Flower of Serving Men.

Fairport recorded this song lots of times both with and without Sandy Denny: The first (and most famous) version with Sandy appeared on Liege and Lief where the line-up is Denny / Hutchings / Mattacks / Nicol / Swarbrick / Thompson. This version also appears on The History of Fairport Convention, on the double CD compilation Meet On The Ledge: The Classic Years 1967-1975 and on the Island samplers Island Life: 25 Years of Island Records and Folk Routes.

The second version with Sandy was recorded on January 26, 1974 at the Sydney Opera House, Australia, with Denny / Donahue / Lucas / Mattacks / Pegg / Swarbrick. It was released on Fairport's Live album. Two more performances from Ebbets Field, Denver, Colorado of May 1974 were published in 2002 on Before The Moon.

A Danish TV broadcast from November 1969 is not available.

The first version without Sandy appears on Live at the L.A. Troubadour, recorded in 1970 with Mattacks / Nicol / Pegg / Swarbrick / Thompson, and the second version appears on the 1979 live album Farewell, Farewell. The third version without Sandy appears on the 1987 live-in-the-studio album In Real Time, as part of the “Big Three Medley”; this version also appears in the video It All Comes 'Round Again.

This Fairport perennial is treated to yet another arrangements, e.g. live at Cropredy 1983, which was released on the cassette The Boot - 1983 Fairport Reunion, in the 1990 video video Live Legends, and in the 25th Anniversary Concert CD (1992).

A specially multi-version compiled of several Matty Groves versions - among them Sandy in the classic Liege and Lief rendering - is on the Fairport unConventioNal 4CD set. It is framed by excerpts from “The Matty Groves Crime Report” which began Fairport's set at Cropredy in 1998.

Cover Versions

The Continental Drifters on their album Listen (2001)

Other Versions

See also Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick's version of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard on their album Prince Heathen.

Lyrics

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 off his shoes and swam.

Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep.
When he awoke, Lord Darnell he 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 a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you and 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.”