Bruton Town

In Bruton Town there lived a noble man
He had two sons and a daughter fair
By night and day they were contriving
For to fill their sister's heart with care

One night one night our restless young girl
One brother rose up from his bed
He heard the servant court their sister
Oh he heard they had a mind to wed

Oh when he rose the very next morning
Went searching for the servantman
And when he found him this young man he murdered
Oh left him lying in the briars around

Oh she went to bed a-crying and lamenting
And thinking of her own true love
And as she slept she dreamt that she saw him
a-lying in the countryside all covered with gore and blood

"Oh brothers, brothers why do you whisper
And what's become of this servantman ?"
-"Oh we lost him when we were a-contending
We lost him were he won't ever be found"

Oh she early rose the very next morning
And searched the countryside around
And there she saw her own dear jewel
A-lying in the briars where he'd been found

Three days and nights he'd lie by him
She thought her heart it would break with woe
When a cruel hunger came upon her
And in despair to her home she did go

Oh sister, sister why do you whisper
And won't you tell us where you've been
Stand off, stand off you bloody butchers
My love and I you have all slain

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recorded by Sandy Denny live in 1972 for the BBC (in the Denny Box Set)
and in a slightly different version by Tim Hart & Maddy Prior on
"Folk Songs Of Olde England Vol.1" (1968)

This is similar to "Clerk Saunders" ( Child 69 ), but then again, songs
of similar content abound in the English tradition.

tune from Sharp, English Folk Songs
DT #309
Laws M32
MJ