Matty Groves chords by Fairport Convention

Tuning: Standard EBGDAE

Difficulty: Novice

Dm
A holiday, A holiday
             F
And the first one of the year
            C
Lord Darnell's wife came into the church
  Dm   C   Dm
The gospel for to hear

Dm
And when the meeting it was done
          F
She cast her eyes about
             C
And there she saw little Matty Groves
Dm   C   Dm
Walking in the crowd

Dm
"Come home with me, little Matty Groves
           F
Come home with me tonight
             C
Come home with me, little Matty Groves
  Dm     C    Dm
And sleep with me 'til light"

Dm
"Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home
           F
And sleep with you tonight
               C
By the rings on your fingers I can tell
  Dm    C    Dm
You are Lord Darnell's wife"

Dm
"But if I am Lord Darnell's wife
           F
Lord Darnell's not at home
         C
He is out in the far cornfields
Dm      C     Dm
Bringing the yearlings home"

Dm
And a servant who was standing by
           F
And hearing what was said
           C
He swore Lord Darnell he would know
 Dm    C     Dm
Before the sun would set

Dm
And in his hurry to carry the news
            F
He bent his breast and ran
            C
And when he came to the broad mill stream
  Dm     C     Dm
He took off his shoes and swam

Dm
Little Matty Groves, he lay down
         F
And took a little sleep
          C
When he awoke Lord Darnell
  Dm    C   Dm
Was standing at his feet

Dm
Saying "How do you like my feather bed
            F
And how do you like my sheets
          C
How do you like my lady
  Dm      C  Dm
Who lies in your arms asleep?"

Dm
"Oh well, I like your feather bed
           F
And well, I like your sheets
            C
But better I like your lady gay
  Dm     C   Dm
Who lies in my arms asleep"

Dm
"Well, get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried
             F
"Get up as quick as you can
            C
It'll never be said in fair England
  Dm  C   Dm
I slew a naked man"

Dm
"Oh I can't get up, I won't get up
           F
I can't get up for my life
           C
For you have two long beaten swords
  Dm   C   Dm
And I not a pocket knife"

Dm
"Well it's true I have two beaten swords
             F
They cost me deep in the purse
           C
But you will have the better of them
  Dm   C    Dm
And I will have the worse"

Dm
"And you will strike the very first blow
           F
And strike it like a man
          C
I will strike the very next blow
     Dm    C  Dm
And I'll kill you if I can"

Dm
So Matty struck the very first blow
             F
And he hurt Lord Darnell sore
             C
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow
  Dm   C    Dm
And Matty struck no more

Dm
And then Lord Darnell he took his wife
             F
And he sat her on his knee
             C
Saying, "Who do like the best of us
Dm   C    Dm
Matty Groves or me?"

Dm
And then up spoke his own dear wife
             F
Never heard to speak so free
               C
"I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips
  Dm      C  Dm
Than you and your finery"

Dm
Lord Darnell he jumped up
         F
And loudly he did bawl
            C
He stuck his wife right through the heart
  Dm      C    Dm
And pinned her against the wall

Dm
"A grave, a grave", Lord Darnell cried
           F
"To put these lovers in
         C
But bury my lady at the top
  Dm     C   Dm
For she was of noble kin"