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The Holland Handkerchief

[ Roud 246 ; Child 272 ; Ballad Index C272 ; trad.]

Packie Manus Byrne sang The Holland Handkerchief on his 1975 Topic album Songs of a Donegal Man and on the 1998 Topic anthology O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green (The Voice of the People Series Volume 3).

Norma Waterson sang The Holland Handkerchief on Waterson:Carthy's fourth album, A Dark Light. Martin Carthy commented in the sleeve notes:

Packie Manus Byrne appeared on the English music scene in the early 1960s and quickly made his mark. He is a canny man. Because he never paraded his knowledge many people took him far too lightly far too easily, but a treasure house is what he was. And, indeed, is. The musical sweep of his knowledge is colossal, and he is also generous. It is from him that Norma learned The Holland Handkerchief, one of the truly spooky songs and one not found that often these days.

Kerfuffle learned this song from Norma Waterson and recorded it in 2004 for their second album, K2.

Lyrics

A wealthy squire he lived in our town
And he was a man of high renown
He had one daughter, a beauty bright
And the name he called her was his Heart's Delight

Many young man far to court her came
But none of them could her favour gain
Till there came one of the low degree
And above them all why she'd fancy he

But when her father he came to know
That his lovely daughter loved this young man so
Over fifty miles he sent her away
All to deprive her of her wedding day

One night as she lay in her bedroom
Her lover appeared from out the gloom
He touched her hand and to her did say
“Arise my darling and come away”

'Twas with this young man she got on behind
And they rode swifter than any wind
They rode on for an hour or more
Till he cries, “My darling, my head feels sore!”

A Holland handkerchief she's then drew out
And with it wrapped his aching head about
She's kissed his lips and these words did say
“My love, you're colder than any clay”

When they arrived at her father's gate
He said, “Get down, love, for the hour is late!
Get down, get down, love, and go to bed
And I'll see this gallant horse is groomed and fed”

And when she's arrived at her father's hall
“Who's that, who's that?” her own father called
“It is I dear father, didn't you send for me
By such a messenger”, and she's named he

“Oh no dear daughter, that can never be
Your words are false love, and you lie to me
For on yon far mountain your young man died
And in yon green meadow well his body lies”

The truth then dawned upon this lady brave
And with her friends they exposed his grave
There lay her love though nine months dead
With the Holland handkerchief tied round his head

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke