Fairport Convention Matty Groves (Liege and Lief) By Marcel Veltman The first time I ever surfed along this and other guitar sites, it was in search of this particular song. I have been singing it for twenty five years and when I decided to teach myself to play, I wanted to see if I could learn the chords. But alas, they were not there. Probably because they're so dead obvious, no one ever bothered to write them down. This is how it was played on the record, but chances are that you don't have a Sandy Danny around to do the vocals. For me, the song is best sung in Bm, so I put the capo on the second fret and do the fingersettings as decribed between ( ). This also creates the possibility to put in a nice Celtic drone. Dm A holiday, A holyday F The first one of the year C Lord Arlen's wife came into the church Am Dm The gospel for to hear (Am) And when the meeting it was done (C) She cast her eyes about (G) And there she saw little Matty Groves (Em) (Am) Walking in the crowd Come home with me little Matty Groves Come home with me tonight Come home with me little Matty Groves And sleep with me tonight Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home And sleep with you tonight By the rings on your fingers I can tell You are Lord Arlen's wife 'T is true I am lord Arlen's wife Lord Arlen's not at home He is out to the far corn fields Bringing the yearlings home And the servant who was standing by And hearing what was said He swore Lord Arlen he would know Before the sun would set And in his hurry to carry the news He filled his breast and ran And when he came to the broad mill stream He took off his shoes and swam Little Matty Groves, he laid down And took a little sleep When he awoke Lord Arlen Was standing at his feet Saying how do you like my feather bed And how do you like my sheets And how do you like my lady Who lies in your arms to sleep O well I like your feather bed And well I like your sheets But better I like your lady maid Who lies in my arms to sleep Well get up get up Lord Arlen cried Get up as quick as you can It'll never be said in fair England I slew a naked man Oh I won't get up I won't getup I can't get up for my life For you have two long beating swords And have not a pocket knife Well it's true I have two beating swords They cost me deep in the purse But you will have the better of them And I will have the worst And you will strikke the very first blow And strike it like a man And I will strike the very next blow And hit you if I can So Matty struck the very first blow But struck Lord Arlen's sword Lord Arlen struck the very next blow And Matty struck no more And the Lord Arlen he took his wife And he sat her on his knee Saying who do like the best of us Matty groves or me And then up spoke his own dear wife Never heard het speak so free I'd rather get a kiss from dead Matty's lips Than you and your finery Lord Arlen he jumped up And loudly he did bawl He stuck his wife right through the heart And pinned her against the wall A grave a grave Lord Arlen cried To put these lovers in But bury my lady at the top For she was of noble kin.