R O Y A L   F O R E S T E R  - Steeleye Span

Traditional words and melody (?), by as sung by Maddy Prior / Steeleye Span, on the album Below the Salt, 1972.

                        			         In Em, as sung on the album.
       Em
 1. "I am the forester of this land, as ye may plainly see.	
                            D               Em                D            
    It's the mantle of your maidenhead that I would have from thee."
               Em               D                 Em        D     Em
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.


 2. He's taken her by the milk-white hand, and by the leylan sleeve.
    He's lain her down upon her back and ask-ed no man's leave.
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

 3. "Now since you've lain me down, young man, you must take me up again,
     And since you've had your will to me, come tell to me your name."
     ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

                      Fiddle break - one verse
 
 4. "Some call me Jim, some call me John, begad it's all the same,
     But when I'm in the king's high court, Erwilian is me name."
     ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

 5. She being a good scholar, she's spelt it o'er again,
    "Erwilian, that's a Latin word, but Willy is your name."
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

 6. Now when he heard his name pronounced, he mounted his high horse.
    She's belted up her petticoat and followed wi' all her force.
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

                      Fiddle break - two verses

 7. He rode and she ran… a long summer day,
    Until they came by the river… that's commonly called the Tay.
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

 8. "The water it's too deep my love, I'm afraid ye cannot wade.", 
    But afore he'd ridden his horse well in, she was on the other side.
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

 9. She went up to the king's high door, she knocked and she went in.
    Said, "One of your chancellor's robbed me, and he's robbed me right and clean."
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

                  electric mandolin break - one verse

10. "Has he robbed you of your mantle, has he robbed you of your ring?"
    "No, he's robbed me of me maidenhead, and another I cannot find."
     ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

11. "Then if he be a married man, hanged he shall be...
    And if he be a single man, he shall marry thee."
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

12. This couple they got married; they live in Huntley town.
    She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter, and he's the blacksmith's son.
    ...with me roon-run-rorily, right-run-rorily, right-now-orily-ann.

           Fiddle break - several verses, till fade out...

Editor's notes:

CHORDS: my best guess - 85% confidence

LYRICS: from album sleeve, fortified by careful listening to the recording - 98% confidence.  

Verse 1, line 1: Sung "…the forester"; written "…a forester".   

Verse 1, line 1, and verse 8, line 1 : Sung "ye"; written "you".  

Verse 2, line 1:  "...and by the leylan sleeve.":  The OED knows not of leylan, nor laylan, nor any other spelling I can imagine. It offers only leyne - "Some fine linen fabric…", "Couer it with a linnen cloth, or for persons of higher degree, take layne…".  

Verse 3, line 2:  Maddy sings the more anatomically potent, "… And since you've had your will to me…", though the album sleeve offers the more familiar, "…and since you've had your will of me…".

Verse 10, line 2: Sung "me"; written "my".

Verse 11, line 1:  "Then if he be a married man, hanged he shall be…".  This is what she sings, but on the album sleeve, we find the syntactically compelling: "If he be a married man, then hanged he shall be…".


-- Transcribed by Warren Allen, early 1996.