Bold Archie

"Come, come," Bold Archie he cried
"Come and speak a word with me
For I've a brother in yonder prison
Who is condemned and this day must dee"

"Oh no, oh no," the other he said
"Oh no, that never can be
For I have ten men as good as myself
We will go and set the poor prisoner free"

So they mounted their horses and away rode they
Who but they so merrily
Until they came to the prison gate
There they all dismounted most sorrowfully

"Bold Dickie, Bold Dickie," Bold Archie he cried
"Come and speak a word with me
For I have come with full forty men
And I am determined to set thee free

"Oh no, oh no," Bold Dickie he cried
"Oh no, that never can be
For I've full forty weight of good Spanish iron
Betwixt my anklebone and my knee"

But they broke bolts and they broke bars
And they broke whatever came in their way
And they took the poor prisoner under his arms
And they marched him out courageously

So they mounted their horses and away rode they
Who but they so merrily
Until they came to the riverside
Where they all dismounted sorrowfully

"Bold Archie, Bold Archie," Bold Dickie he cried
"Come and speak a word with me
My horse is lame and he cannot swim
And oh, I fear this day I dee"

"Oh no, oh no," Bold Archie he cried
"Oh no, that never can be
My horse is strong and I know he swims
He will take us both over most joyfully"

So they mounted their horses and away rode they
Who but they so merrily
Until they came to the other side
Where they all dismounted most sorrowfully

"Bold Archie, Bold Archie," the sheriff he cried
"Come and speak a word with me
If you'll bring back the iron that you carried off
I am sure we will set the poor prisoner free."

"Oh no, oh no," Bold Archie he cried
"Oh no, that never can be
Well the iron will serve to shoe our horses
And a blacksmith he rides in our company"

So they mounted their horses and away rode they
Who but they so merrily
Until they came to the tavern gate
Where they all dismounted most joyfully

They hired a fiddle, they hired a room
Who but they so merrily
And one of the best dancers that was in the room
Was this poor prisoner just set free

From the Frank Warner collection
Child #187 and/or
Child #188
This seems to be assumed to be local on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Recorded by Tony Rose
play.exe BOLDARCH.1
SOF