Jack Orion was as good a fiddler
As ever fiddled on a string
And he could drive young women mad
With the tune his wife would sing
But he would fiddle the fish out of salt water
Water from bare marble stone
Or milk from out of a maiden's breast
Though baby she had none
And there he played in the castle hall
And there he played them fast asleep
Except it was for the young countess
And for love she stayed awake
And first he played at a slow slow air
And then he played it brisk and gay
And it's oh dear love behind her hand
The lady she did say
When the day has dawned and the cocks have crowed
And flapped their wings so wide it's you
Must come up to my chamber then
And lie down by my side
So he lapped his fiddle in a cloth of green
And he stole out on his tiptoe
And he's got back to his boy Tom
As fast as he could go
When the day has dawned and the cocks have crowed
And flapped their wings so wide I'm bid
To go up to that lady's door
And stretch out by her side
Lie down, lie down, my good master
And here's a blanket to your hand
And I'll waken you in as good time
As any cock in this land
So Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he sang for a full hour
Until he's played him fast asleep
And he's off to the lady's bower
And when he come to the countess' door
He twirled so softly at the pin
And the lady true to her promise
Rose up and let him in
Well he did not take that lady gay
To bolster nor to bed but down
Upon the hard cold bedroom floor
Right soon he had her laid
And neither did he kiss her when he come
Nor yet when from her he did go
But in at the lady's bedroom window
The moon like a coal did glow
Oh rugged are your stockings, love
And stubbly is your cheek and chin
And tousled is that yellow hair
That I saw late yestre'en
The stockings belong to my boy Tom
But they were the first came to my hand
And the wind it tousled my yellow hair
As I rode over the land
Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so saucily
And he's off back to his master's house
As fast as go could he
Then up, then up, my good master
Why snore you there so loud for there
Is not a cock in all this land
But has clapped his wings and crowed
Jack Orion took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so merrily
And he's off away to the lady's house
As fast as the coal could gae
And when he come to the lady's door
He twirled so softly at the ring
Saying, Oh my dear here's your true love
Rise up and let me in
She said, Surely you didn't leave behind
A golden brooch or a velvet glove
Or are you returned back again
To taste more of my love
Jack Orion he swore a bloody oath
By oak, by ash, by bitter thorn
Lady, I never was in this room
Since the day that I was born
Oh then it was your own boy Tom
That cruelly has beguiled me
And woe that the blood of that ruffian boy
Should spring in my body
Jack Orion took to his own house saying
Tom my boy, come here to me
And he hung that boy from his own gate-post
As high as the willow tree
(as sung by Martin Carthy)