| Song | Matty Groves - Take 1 |
| Artist | Fairport Convention |
| Album | The Notes And The Words: A Collection Of Demos And Rarities |
| A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year. | |
| Lord Darnell's wife came into church, the gospel for to hear | |
| And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about, | |
| And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd. | |
| “Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight, | |
| Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light.” | |
| “Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight, | |
| By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell's wife.” | |
| “What if I am Lord Darnell's wife? Lord Darnell's not at home. | |
| For he is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home." | |
| And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said, | |
| He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set. | |
| And in his hurry to carry the news he bent his breast and ran, | |
| And when he came to the broad mill stream he took of his shoes and he swam. | |
| Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep, | |
| When he awoke, Lord Darnell was standing at his feet. | |
| Saying “How do you like my feather bed? And how do you like my sheets? | |
| How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?” | |
| “Oh, well I like your feather bed, and well I like your sheets. | |
| But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep.” | |
| "Well, Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried "Get up as quick as you can, | |
| It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man.” | |
| “Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life. | |
| For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket-knife.” | |
| “Well it's true I have two beaten swords, and they cost me deep in the purse. | |
| But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse." | |
| "And you will strike the very first blow, and strike it like a man, | |
| I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can. | |
| So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Darnell sore, | |
| Lord Darnell struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more. | |
| And then Lord Darnell he took his wife and he sat her on his knee, | |
| Saying, “Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?” | |
| And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free. | |
| "I'd rather kiss from dead Matty's lips, than you with your finery. | |
| Lord Darnell he jumped up and loudly he did bawl, | |
| He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall. | |
| “A grave, a grave!” Lord Darnell cried, “to put these lovers in. | |
| But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin." |
| A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year. | |
| Lord Darnell' s wife came into church, the gospel for to hear | |
| And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about, | |
| And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd. | |
| " Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight, | |
| Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light." | |
| " Oh, I can' t come home, I won' t come home and sleep with you tonight, | |
| By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell' s wife." | |
| " What if I am Lord Darnell' s wife? Lord Darnell' s not at home. | |
| For he is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home." | |
| And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said, | |
| He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set. | |
| And in his hurry to carry the news he bent his breast and ran, | |
| And when he came to the broad mill stream he took of his shoes and he swam. | |
| Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep, | |
| When he awoke, Lord Darnell was standing at his feet. | |
| Saying " How do you like my feather bed? And how do you like my sheets? | |
| How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?" | |
| " Oh, well I like your feather bed, and well I like your sheets. | |
| But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep." | |
| " Well, Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried " Get up as quick as you can, | |
| It' ll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man." | |
| " Oh, I can' t get up, I won' t get up, I can' t get up for my life. | |
| For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocketknife." | |
| " Well it' s true I have two beaten swords, and they cost me deep in the purse. | |
| But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse." | |
| " And you will strike the very first blow, and strike it like a man, | |
| I will strike the very next blow and I' ll kill you if I can. | |
| So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Darnell sore, | |
| Lord Darnell struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more. | |
| And then Lord Darnell he took his wife and he sat her on his knee, | |
| Saying, " Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?" | |
| And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free. | |
| " I' d rather kiss from dead Matty' s lips, than you with your finery. | |
| Lord Darnell he jumped up and loudly he did bawl, | |
| He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall. | |
| " A grave, a grave!" Lord Darnell cried, " to put these lovers in. | |
| But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin." |