John Doyle‘s unique guitar playing makes this version of False Lady my favorite. You can find a version of it on his CD with Karan Casey Exiles Return.

False Lady

“Abide, abide, true love,” she said,
“Bide and stay all night,
You shall have pleasure in my room
With a coal and a candle light, light,
With a coal and a candle light”

“I won’t abide, you false lady,
and bide and stay all night,
For I have a far better love to enjoy
When I go home, than you, you,
When I go home, than you”

As he stooped over saddle bow
To kiss her lips so sweet
And with a penknife in her hand
She wounded him full deep, deep
She wounded him full deep

“Why woundest me, you false lady
Why woundest me full sore?
There’s not a doctor in all Scotland
Can heal my mortal wound, wound
Can heal my mortal wound”

She awoke her maids in the morning
Just at the break of day
Saying, “there’s a dead man in my bed chamber
I wish he was away, away
I wish he was away”

Some took him by the lily-white hands
And others by the feet
They threw him into a very deep well
Full fifty fathoms deep, deep
Full fifty fathoms deep

“Lie there, lie there, you false young man
Lie there, lie there, alone
And let the one that you love best
Think you long a coming home, home
Think you long a coming home”

Oh then upspoke a pretty little bird
Sitting on a tree
“An ill death may you die, lady
He had no love but thee, thee
He had no love but thee”

“Come down, come down, you pretty little bird
Sit upon my knee
For I have a golden cage at home
That I will give to thee, thee
That I will give to thee”

“I won’t come down, you false lady
And sit upon your knee
For you have slain your own true love
And I’m sure you would slay me, me
And I’m sure you would slay me”

“I wish I had my bow to bend
My arrow and my string
I’d shoot you through the very heart
Among the leaves so green, green
Among the leaves so green”

“Well if you had your bow to bend
Your arrow and your string
I’d take my wings and away I’d fly
You’d ne’er see me again, again
You’d ne’er see me again”