Martin Carthy And Dave Swarbrick - Lochmaben Harper lyrics

There was a harper an old blind harper He lived in Lochmaben town And a wager he laid with lord and lady Steal Henry's wanton brown There he sat in the pub on an evening He was drunk and drinking wine A wager he laid with lord and lady Steal Henry's wanton brown One of them bet him a house and land And the other one bet five thousand pound And how they laughed at the silly blind harper Ran off to steal the wanton brown Up and spoke this harper's wife And oh what a wily one was she Go take the mare that's newly foaled Leave her babe at home with me He took his harp all in his hand He run playing all round the town And the king high in his highland home His ears were touched by all that sound Come in come in now you John Harper More of your music we would hear Yes that I will says John Harper But I must have stabling for my mare You go down to the outer court That stands a bit below the town And you can leave her warm and snug And next to my own wanton brown And he's gone down to the outer court That stands a bit below the town And there he spied the stable snug Where stately stood the wanton brown And he took out a good strong halter How the horse come to his call As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose Tied the end to his mare's tail And he took out a good strong halter How the horse come to his call As he slipped it o'er the wanton's nose Tied the end to his mare's tail And he has played in the king's high hall And he has played them deep asleep And he's gone down to his hands and knees And he crawled into the street And he's away to the outer court That stands a bit below the town And the guards slept as he let out the mare Tied safe to the wanton brown Just you run through the moss you run through mire Through many's the bog and the lairy hole And don't you let this wanton slack Till you get home to your own foal Soon as the door he has unshut The mare ran prancing round the town And there behind keeping close She towed the stately wanton brown They ran through the moss they ran through mire Through many's the bog and the lairy hole And she never let this wanton slack Till she got home to her own foal John played in the king's high hall Till the king called him and aloud he cried O wake wake now you John Harper We have slept till nearly day Get up get up now you John Harper More of your music we will hear Yes that I will says John Harper But I must go see to my grey mare He's gone down to the outer court And back he's come with many's the tear Thieves broke in the outer court Stole away my good grey mare O my soul and cries the king If there be thieves all in this town And they have taken your grey mare Then they have stolen the wanton brown Play play now you John Harper Give me music to my ear And I will pay you for your song If three times for your grey mare John played and John got paid And John ran paid all from the town Never did King Henry think He'd stolen away his wanton brown Lords stood at the high town wall And they beheld both dale and town There they spied this John Harper Come walking back down to the town O my soul and cries the lord How come you come home so soon Oh we see you've no grey mare Still you have no wanton brown Aye ye lie then cries the boy I took him so suddenly I was paid for my music And three times for my grey mare He took them to his own stable Open wide the door he spun There's the mare there's the foal And there's the stately wanton brown One paid up his house and land The other one paid five thousand pound And how he laughed did John Harper Who stole away the wanton brown