Summary
Lord Randall is an Anglo-Scottish folk ballad. The song is a dialogue between Lord Randall and his mother. The four beginning verses from Randall's perspective end with the refrain "For I am wearied with hunting, and fain would lie down", while the five latter verses end with the refrain "For I'm sick to my heart, and fain would lie down." In each stanza, lord Randall's mother asks him for more information, and through the dialogue it is revealed that Randall visited his lover on a hunting trip, and his lover poisoned him and his dogs with eels. There are many variants of this song, as it was originally a folk song that was memorized and wasn't written down until much later. The lyrics below are from Encyclopedia.com, you can find them here.
There are many performances of many variants of this song recorded. I personally like this one the best.
Lyrics
“O where ha’ you been, Lord Randal, my son?
And where ha you been, my handsome young man?”
“I hae been at the greenwood; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ huntin, and fain wad lie down.”
“An wha met ye there, Lord Randal, my son? 5
An wha met you there, my handsome young man?”
“O I met wi’ my true-love; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ huntin, and fain wad lie down.”
“And what did she give you, Lord Randal, my son?
And what did she give you, my handsome young man?” 10
“Eels fried in a pan; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ huntin, and fain wad lie down.”
“And wha gat your leavins, Lord Randal, my son?
And wha gat your leavins, my handsome young man?”
“My hawks and my hounds; mother, mak my bed soon, 15
For I’m wearied wi’ huntin, and fain wad lie down.”
“And what becam of them, Lord Randal, my son?
And what becam of them, my handsome young man?”
“They swelled and they died; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m wearied wi’ huntin, and fain wad lie down" 20
“O I fear you are poisoned, Lord Randal, my son!
I fear you are poisoned, my handsome young man!”
“O yes, I am poisoned, mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”
“What d’ ye leave to your mother, Lord Randal, my son?" 25
What d’ ye leave to your mother, my handsome young man?”
“Four and twenty milk kye; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”
“What d’ ye leave to your sister, Lord Randal, my son?
What d’ ye to your sister my handsome young man?" 30
“My gold and my silver; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”
“What d’ ye leave to your brother, Lord Randal my son?
What d’ ye to your brother my handsome young man?”
“My houses and my lands; mother, mak my bed soon, 35
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.”
“What d’ ye leave to your true-love, Lord Randal, my son?
What d’ ye to your true-love my handsome young man?”
“I leave her hell and fire; mother, mak my bed soon,
For I’m sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down.” 40