Willy O' Winsbury
Richard Thompson Lyrics

A king has been a prisoner
A king has been held captive

A prisoner long in Spain
The king has been captive in Spain for a long time

And Willy of the Winsbury
Referring to Willy of Winsbury

Has lain long with his daughter at home
Willy has been intimate with the king's daughter while the king was away

What ails you what ails you, my daughter Janet?
What's wrong, my daughter Janet?

Why look you so pale and wan?
Why do you look so pale and sick?

Oh have you had any sore sickness
Have you been ill?

Or been lying with a man?
Have you been intimate with a man?

I have not had any sore sickness
I haven't been sick

Nor yet been lyin' with a man
I haven't been intimate with a man

But it is for you, my father dear
It's because of you, my dear father

In bidin' so long in Spain
For staying so long in Spain

Cast off cast off your berry brown gown
Take off your brown dress

Stand naked on the stone
Stand naked on the stone floor

That I may know you by your shape
So I can verify your virginity by your body shape

If you be a maiden or no
If you're a virgin or not

And she cast off her berry brown gown
And she took off her brown dress

Stood naked on the stone
Stood naked on the stone floor

Her apron hung low, her haunches were round
Her apron hung low, and she had shapely hips

Her face was pale and wan
Her face was pale and sickly

Oh, was it a Lord or a Duke or a Knight?
Was it a nobleman or a knight?

Or a man of birth and fame?
Or a famous man of noble birth?

Or was it one of my serving men
Was it one of my servants?

That so lately come out of Spain?
Who recently came back from Spain?

It was not a Lord or a Duke or a Knight
It wasn't a nobleman or a knight

Nor a man of birth and fame
Nor a man of noble birth and fame

But it was for Willy o' Winsbury
It was for Willy of Winsbury

I no longer could lie alone
I couldn't be alone any longer

The king he called his merry men
The king called his men

By thirty and by three
By thirty-three of them

Go bring me this Willy of Winsbury
Go bring Willy of Winsbury to me

For hang'd he shall be
I'll have him executed

But when he came before the King
When he came in front of the king

He was clad all in the red silk
He was dressed in red silk

His hair was like the strands of gold
His hair was golden and shiny

And his skin was as white as the milk
His skin was as white as milk

It is no wonder, said the King
It's not surprising

That my daughter's love you did win
That you won my daughter's love

If I were a woman as I am a man
If I was a woman instead of a man

My bedfellow you would have been
You would have been my lover

And will you marry my daughter Janet
Will you marry my daughter Janet?

By the truth of your right hand?
Swear on your oath

Oh will you marry my daughter Janet
Will you marry my daughter Janet?

I'll make you the Lord of my land
I'll make you the lord of my lands

Oh, yes, I will marry your daughter Janet
Yes, I'll marry your daughter Janet

By the truth of my right hand
I swear on my oath

But I'll not be the Lord of your land
But I don't want to be the lord of your lands

And he's mounted her on a milk-white steed
He put her on a white horse

Himself on the dapple grey
He rode a gray horse

And he's made her the lady of as much land
And he made her the lady of as much land

As she may ride in a long summer's day
As much land as she can ride in a long summer day