The Grey Cock
`O SAW ye my father? or saw ye my mother?
Or saw ye my true-love John?'
`I saw not your father, I saw not your mother,
But I saw your true-love John.Child has a single version of The Grey Cock or Saw Ye My Father. Bronson has 15 versions with tunes in his Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads.
[ A ]
a. 'The Grey Cock,' Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 234; Herd's MSS, I, 4; Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 208.
b. 'Saw you my father?' Chappell's Popular Music, p 731.
Version A
[ TOP ]The Grey Cock, or, Saw You My Father
1 `O SAW ye my father? or saw ye my mother?
Or saw ye my true-love John?'
`I saw not your father, I saw not your mother,
But I saw your true-love John.
2 `It's now ten at night, and the stars gie nae light,
And the bells they ring ding, dang;
He's met wi some delay that causeth him to stay,
But he will be here ere lang.'
3 The surly auld earl did naething but snarl,
And Johny's face it grew red;
Yet, tho he often sighd, he neer a word replied
Till all were asleep in bed.
4 Up Johny rose, and to the door he goes,
And gently tirled the pin;
The lassie taking tent unto the door she went,
And she opend and let him in.
5 `And are ye come at last? and do I hold ye fast?
And is my Johny true?'
`I hae nae time to tell, but sae lang's I like mysell
Sae lang will I love you.'
6 `Flee, flee up, my bonny grey cock,
And craw when it is day;
Your neck shall be like the bonny beaten gold,
And your wings of the silver grey.'
7 The cock prov'd false, and untrue he was,
For he crew an hour oer soon;
The lassie thought it was day when she sent her love away,
And it was but a blink of the moon.
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