Applause
Holiday, holiday,
I'm the first one of the year
Lord Arnold's wife came
into the church,
the gospel brought her here
And when the meeting it was done,
she cast her eyes about
And there she spied young Matty Groves,
a -walking in the crowd
Said, come home with me,
little Matty Groves,
come home with me tonight
Come home with me, young Matty Groves,
and sleep with me tonight
Well, I can't come home
and I won't come home
I'm sleeping with you tonight
For by the nails on your fingers
I can tell You are me master's wife
And what if I am Lord Arnold's wife?
He is not at home
He is out in the far country
He's bringing a yearling's
home
God turned to a standing boy,
hearing what was said.
Swallowed on all he would know,
before the sun did set.
And in his hurry to carry his news,
he bent his breast and he ran.
And when he came to the straw mill stream,
he took off his shoes and he swam.
Little Matty Groves,
he lay down
and he took a little sleep
And when he awoke,
Lord Alan was standing by his feet
Saying, how do you like my feather bed?
How do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my lady wife,
who lies in your arms asleep?
Oh well, I like your feather bed
better than I like your sheets
And best I like your lady waifu
lying in me arms asleep
Get up, get up, get up, Lord Arnold,
try and get up as quick as you can
But it'll never be sat in despair
and I slew a naked man
Well, I can't get up and I won't get up,
I won't get up for my life
For you have too long beaten swords
and I ain't not a fucking knight
It's true, I have two beating swords,
they thrust me deep in the past
But you will have the better of them,
and I will keep the worst
And you will strike me the
very first blow,
you'll strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow,
and I'll kill you if I can
So Matty struck the bed
he burst below and he hurt
Lord Arnold's sore
Lord Arnold struck the bed
he next below
and Matty struck the floor
And then he took his own dear wife,
sat her up on his knee
And said, who do you like the best of us?
Now you're dead, Matty Groves, or me?
And then I spoke in her own dear way,
never heard her speak so free
I'd rather the kiss from
dead Mattie's lips
than you and I, yeah, finally
And that Lord Arnold, he jumped up
and loudly did he fall
He stuck his wife right through the heart
and he pinned her up to the wall
A brave, a brave
Lord Arnold
might put these lovers in
But won't you marry my lady at the top?
For she was a no -go