Songs and Lyrics

Version 1

%abc-2.1
X:1
T:The Mistletoe Bough
Z:Webmaster
C:Thomas Haynes Bayly (1797-1839)
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:A
E | EEE EEE | F2FE2E | 
w:The mis-tle-toe hung on the cas-tle hall The 
FFF GFE | B2BA2E | 
w:hol-ly branch shone on the old oak wall. The 
EEE EEE | F2FE3 | 
w:ba-on's re-tain-ers were blythe and gay 
FFF (GF)E | B2BA2E | 
w:Kee-ping their Christ--mas ho-li-day. The 
M:3/4
A3GA2 | B4AB | c4A2 | E4C2 | 
w:ba-ron be-held with a fa-ther's pride His 
D3CB,2 |  G2F2E2 | A4G2 | A4F2 |
w:bea-uti-ful daugh-ter young Lov-ell's bride. And 
A3GA2 | B4A2 | c4A2 | E4C2 | 
w:she with her bright eyes seemed to be The
C3DB,2 | (G2F2)E2 | A4G2 | A6 | 
w:star of that good--ly com-pan-y. 
(A2G2)A2 | B2A2B2 | c6 |
w:Oh-- the mis-tle-toe bough. 
(D2C2)D2 | E2c2B2 | A6 ||
w:Oh-- the mis-tle-toe bough
|
W:
%
W:1
W:The mistletoe hung in the castle hall, 
W:The holly branch shone on the old oak wall, 
W:And the Baron's retainers were blithe and gay, 
W:And keeping their Christmas holiday, 
W:The Baron beheld with a father's pride,  
W:His beautiful child, young Lovel's bride. 
W:While she with her bright eyes seemed to be,  
W:The star of the goodly company.
W:
W:(chorus)
W:Oh! the mistletoe bough! Oh! the mistletoe bough! 
W:
W:2
W:"I'm weary of dancing now," she cried, 
W:Here tarry a moment, I'll hide, I'll hide, 
W:And Lovel be sure thou'rt the first to trace 
W:The clue to my secret lurking place."
W:Away she ran and her friends began, 
W:Each tower to search and each nook to scan, 
W:And young Lovel cried, "Oh where dost thou hide? 
W:I'm lonesome without thee, my own dear bride." 
W:
W:3
W:They sought her that night and they sought her next day, 
W:And they sought her in vain till a week passed away, 
W:In the highest, the lowest, the loneliest spot, 
W:Young Lovel sought wildly but found her not, 
W:And years flew by, and their grief at last 
W:Was told as a sorrowful tale long past, 
W:And when Lovel appeared the children cried, 
W:See! the old man weeps for his fairy bride.
W:
W:4
W:At length an oak chest that had long lain hid, 
W:Was found in the castle, they raised the lid, 
W:And a skeleton form lay mouldering there, 
W:In the bridal wreath of the lady fair. 
W:Oh! sad was her fate, in sportive jest 
W:She hid from her Lord, in the old oak chest, 
W:It closed with a spring, and her bridal bloom 
W:Lay withering there, in a living tomb.

Version 2

Version 3

Song Note

Song by Thomas Haynes Bayly
Country of origin: England

Folk song references:

Roud-2336

Song to be found in the following collection(s):

Songs From Hazzards Huzzah

Songs

Background

Collections

Folk Indices

Song Note

Folk song references:

Song to be found in the following collection(s):