Lyrics John Barlow - Andy Irvine

There was a lady lived in the west
And she was dressed in green
And she's leaned over her father's castle wall
To watch the ships sail in

What is wrong with you her father he did say
You look so pale and wan
O have you had any sore sickness
Or yet been sleeping with a man?

I have not had any sore sickness
But I'm in love with a young man
And the only thing that breaks my heart
Is what keeps my darling so long

Is he a Lord or a squire or a duke
Or a man of noted fame
Or is one of my serving men
That's lately come out of Spain

He is not a lord nor a squire nor a duke
Nor a man of noted fame
But he is young John from the Isle of Man
And I think he's a fine young man

O send him down the saucy clown
O send him down unto me
For if he thinking to gain my daughters hand
He must leave this country

O father dear now don't be severe
And don't be cruel unto me
For if you banish young John Barlow
You will get no good of me

But the king has sent for his merry merry men
And his merry men thirty and three
And instead of young John being the very last one
The very first one came he

He entered the room young John Barlow
And the clothes that he wore were of silk
And his two blue eyes like the morning sky
And his skin was as white as milk

It is no wonder the king he did say
My daughter's love you did win
For had I been a woman as I am a man
My bedfellow you would have been

Will you wed my daughter he said
Will you take her by the hand
And will you wed my daughter he said
And be lord over all my land

O I will wed your daughter he said
But she's not a match for me
For every pound that she can count down
I can count thirty and three

He's mounted her on a milk white steed
Himself on a dapple grey
And he's made her a lady of as much land
As she could ride in a long summers day