Lloyd recorded many albums of English folk music, most notably several albums of the Child Ballads with Ewan MacColl. He also published many books on folk music and related topics, including The Singing Englishman, Come All Ye Bold Miners, and Folk Song in England. He was a founder-member of Topic Records and remained as their artistic director until his death. He died at his home in Greenwich in 1982.
While Lloyd is most widely known for his work with British folk music, he had a keen interest in the music of Spain, Latin America, Southeastern Europe and Australia (he recorded at least 6 discs of Australian Bush Ballads and folk music).
The Widow of Westmorland's Daughter
A.L. Lloyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she has prayed both night and day she should keep her maidenhead long
"Ah, don't be daft, mother," she said, "and say no more to me
For a fine young man in the Grenadier Guards my maidenhead's taken from me"
"You saucy cat, you impudent cat, a-cursed may you be
If some idle rogue in the Grenadier Guards your maidenhead's taken from thee"
But the girlie's off to the Grenadier Guards as fast as go can she
Saying "Give me back my maidenhead, my mother she nags at me"
And he put her head where her feet were before and gave back her maidenhead
Then he kissed her and he dressed her with a rose in either hand
Invited her round to St. Mary's church to see his fine wedding
Oh, the girlie's off to her mammy's house as fast as go can she
"I'm as full a maiden, mammy dear, as the day you first bore me
He kissed me and undressed me and he laid me on the bed
Put my head where my feet were before and he gave back my maidenhead
Then he kissed me and he dressed me, put a rose in either hand and
Invited me round to St. Mary's church to see his fine wedding
"Ah, never on foot," her mammy she said, "in a carriage and pair you'll ride
With four and twenty fine young girls to go with you beside"
"Ah, who is this?" the bride she said, "She comes so high to me"
"I see it is the widow's daughter who ran home and told her mammy"
"How could she do it, how would she do it, how could she do it for shame?
Eleven long nights I lay with a man and I never told anyone"
"If eleven long nights you lay with a man, you never shall lie with me
I'd rather marry the widow's daughter who ran home and told her mammy"
The song "The Widow of Westmorland's Daughter" by A.L. Lloyd tells the story of a young woman who is scolded by her mother for losing her virginity to a soldier in the Grenadier Guards. The mother is upset because she had been praying for her daughter to remain a virgin. The daughter, however, is unapologetic and insists that her maidenhead has already been taken. This infuriates the mother who curses her daughter for being impudent.
Determined to regain her virginity, the daughter goes to the soldier in the Grenadier Guards and demands that he return it to her. The soldier acquiesces, and afterwards, invites her to his wedding where he presents her with a rose in each hand. The daughter quickly returns home to show her mother that her virginity has been restored, but her mother is suspicious as to how it happened.
The daughter reveals that she had spent eleven nights with a man, but never told anyone. Upon hearing this, her mother is horrified and vows never to let her daughter marry anyone. Instead, she suggests that the daughter ride in a carriage with four and twenty fine young girls, including the widow's daughter who had informed her mother of the daughter's exploits.
The song is a traditional English folk ballad, and like many such ballads, the story it tells has its roots in real life events. It is said to be based on a true story that occurred in the village of Hawkshead in the English Lake District. The song has since become a staple in folk music circles, and has been recorded by many artists including Martin Carthy, Steeleye Span, and Kate Rusby.
Line by Line Meaning
There was an old widow in Westmorland who had no daughter but one
In Westmorland lived a widow who only had one daughter.
And she has prayed both night and day she should keep her maidenhead long
This widow's only daughter prayed that she would remain a virgin for a long time.
"Ah, don't be daft, mother," she said, "and say no more to me
For a fine young man in the Grenadier Guards my maidenhead's taken from me"
The daughter admitted to her mother that her virginity had already been taken by a man in the Grenadier Guards.
"You saucy cat, you impudent cat, a-cursed may you be
If some idle rogue in the Grenadier Guards your maidenhead's taken from thee"
The mother scolded her daughter for losing her virginity to a man in the Grenadier Guards and cursed her for her behavior.
But the girlie's off to the Grenadier Guards as fast as go can she
Saying "Give me back my maidenhead, my mother she nags at me"
Despite her mother's protests, the daughter left to find the man in the Grenadier Guards with whom she had lost her virginity, hoping he would return it to her to appease her mother's complaints.
So he kissed her and undressed her and he laid her on the bed
And he put her head where her feet were before and gave back her maidenhead
The man gave the daughter back her virginity by having sex with her again, but in a different position than before.
Then he kissed her and he dressed her with a rose in either hand
Invited her round to St. Mary's church to see his fine wedding
After they had sex, the man kissed the daughter and gave her roses, then invited her to his wedding at the St. Mary's church.
Oh, the girlie's off to her mammy's house as fast as go can she
"I'm as full a maiden, mammy dear, as the day you first bore me
The daughter rushed back to her mother's house to tell her that she had regained her virginity and was still a pure maiden, as she was when she was born.
Then he kissed me and he dressed me, put a rose in either hand and
Invited me round to St. Mary's church to see his fine wedding
The daughter repeated the story of the man giving her roses and inviting her to his wedding at St. Mary's church.
"Ah, never on foot," her mammy she said, "in a carriage and pair you'll ride
With four and twenty fine young girls to go with you beside"
The mother instructed her daughter that she should ride in a carriage with twenty-four other young girls for the wedding, rather than walking on foot.
"Ah, who is this?" the bride she said, "She comes so high to me"
"I see it is the widow's daughter who ran home and told her mammy"
At the wedding, the bride was surprised by the arrival of a woman who seemed to be of high social status, and was told by someone that it was the widow's daughter who went home and told her mother about losing her virginity.
"How could she do it, how would she do it, how could she do it for shame?
Eleven long nights I lay with a man and I never told anyone"
The bride expressed shock and incredulity that the widow's daughter would go home and tell her mother about losing her virginity, since she herself had slept with a man for eleven nights without telling anyone.
"If eleven long nights you lay with a man, you never shall lie with me
I'd rather marry the widow's daughter who ran home and told her mammy"
After hearing the bride's confession, the groom decided not to marry her because she was not a virgin, and instead chose to marry the widow's daughter who had gone to tell her mother about losing her virginity.
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