THE VERDANT BRAES OF SKREEN



SOURCE: Bob Pfeffer



SOURCE'S SOURCE: Mick Hanley [23B 513*3; Peter Kennedy, Folksongs of

Britain & Ireland (Schirmer 1975)



COMMENTS: AKA: The False Young Man; As I Walked Out; T for

Thomas

D A7 G A7

As I rode out one evening fair

D G

By the verdant braes of Skreen

D G A7

I set my back to a hawthorn tree

D A7 G A7

To view the sun in the west country

D A7 D

And the dew on the forest green

A lad I spied by Owen's side

And a maiden by his knee

And he was as dark as the very brown wood

And she all whey and wan to see

All whey and wan was she



"Oh, sit you down on the grass," he said.

"On the dewy grass so green

For the wee birds all have come and gone

Since I my true love have seen

Since I my true love have seen"



"Oh then I'll not sit on the grass," she said.

"Nor be a love of thine

For I hear you love a Connaught maid

And your heart's no longer mine," she said

"And your heart's no longer mine."



"Nor I'll not heed what an old man says

For his days are nearly done

And I'll not heed what a young man says

For he's fair to many's the one," she said.

"For he's fair to many's the one."



"And I'll not heed what any man says

Let his hair be white, black, or brown

Save that he were on top of some high gallows tree

And swearin' he'd wish to come down," she said.

"And swearin' he'd wish to come down."



"But I will climb a high, high tree

And I'll rob a wild bird's nest

And back I'll bring whatever I do find

To the arms that I love best," she said.

"To the arms that I love best."



@courtship @Irish @love

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