Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman

Lyrics

The king has wed a cruel lady from a distant land
His two daughters they stood in awe
Then bravely sat and sang
Then in came their step-mother, stately stepping in saying
As I live and breathe my girls, I'll make you change your tune

They said, we’ll never sing your song, lady
We won’t change it for you
Tell us did you bear those sons
We see here tall and true
Yes I bore those lads you see
To whom you’d give your love
Turn your eyes from him my girls
For you’re not good enough

They said, we will cut our golden hair
A bit above the ear
And we’ll go to the Greenwood fair
So far away from here

We will lift our fine clothes
A bit above the knee
And we’ll go to the greenwood
Bold Robin to see
And we will change our own two names
When we leave this town
The one we will call Nicholas
The other Roger Brown

Well they hadn’t been in Greenwood
For a time so long
Till it fell once upon a day
That Roger sang a song
When we were in our father's hall
We sewed the silken seam
But now we walk the Greenwood
And bear another name

When we were in our father's hall
We wore the beaten gold
But now we wear the sword so sharp
And fear we'll die from cold