Child's Ballads Week 12: England - Assignments - Reading - Resources - Images

Blood on Sleeve (Child 13) Listening time: (3 minutes)

AUDIO RECORDING

VERSE 1
How come that blood on your coat sleeve
My son, come tell it to me
It is th blood of th little yellow pony
That plowed a fur for me, me, me
That plowed a fur for me

VERSE 2
O, it tis too red for that
My son, come tell it to me
O, it is th blood of th little guienie gay halk
That sailed away from me, me, me
Sailed away from me

VERSE 3
O, it tis too red for that
My son, come tell it to me
O, it tis th blood of the little yellow pony
That plowed a fur for me, me, me
That plowed a fur for me

VERSE 4
O, it tis too red for that
My son, come tell it to me
O, it tis th blood of my dear ole brother
That rode aside of me, me, me
Rode aside of me

VERSE 5
What you an' your brother fall out about
My son, come tell it to me
We fell out about that sycamore bush
That might a made a tree, tree, tree,
That might a made a tree

VERSE 6
O, what'a you gonna do when your Father comes back
My son, come tell it to me
I'll set my foot on yonder ship
An' sail across th sea, sea, sea
An' sail across th sea

VERSE 7
O, what'a you gonna do with your pretty little children
My son, come tell it to me
I'll leave them here for my dear ole Mother
To keep her company, nee, nee
To keep her company

VERSE 8
O, what'a you gonna do with your house and barn
My son, come tell it to me
I'll leave them here for my dear ole Mother
To raise my chilren on, non, non
Raise my children on

VERSE 9
O, what'a you gonna do with your pretty little wife
My son, come tell it to me
I'll set her foot on yonder ship
An' sail across th sea, sea, sea,
An' sail across th sea

VERSE 10
O, when you gonna come back
My son, come tell it to me
O, I'm not coming back till th sun and th moon
Both set in the North, and I'm sure it'll never be, be, be
An' I sure it'll never be

Questions. Make sure you can answer these questions about what you just read: when the mother asks about the blood, what does her son say? what did the brothers quarrel about? what is the son going to do now? Source: From The Max Hunter Folksong Archive (weblink) and Lesley Nelson's Child Ballad website (weblink). See also Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898). Weblink.