Brown Adam Songtext
von Martin Carthy

Oh who would wish for the wind to blow
Or the green leaves fall therewith
And who would wish for a finer love
Than Brown Adam the smith

Oh his hammer is of a beaten gold
And his anvil′s all of steel
Oh his fingers white they are my delight
And he blows at his bellows well

But they have banished him, young Brown Adam
From father and from mother
And they have banished him, young Brown Adam
From sister and from brother

And they have banished him, young Brown Adam
From the flower of all his kin
And he's built him a bower in the gay greenwood
All between his lady and him


And as it fell out all on one day
Brown Adam he thought long
And he is away to the gay greenwood
For to hunt him venison

And he′s taken his bow all in his hand
And his arrows one by one
And he is away to the gay greenwood
As fast as he could run

And he shot up and he shot down
The bird all on the briar
And he sent it all to his gay lady
Told her be all of good cheer

And he shot up and he shot down
The flower all on the thorn
And he sent it all to his gay lady
Told her he would be home in the morn

Brown Adam, he come to his own bower door
And he stood there a little way away
And it was there that he spied a full false knight
Come a-tempting his lady gay


Oh the knight drew out a gay gold ring
That had cost him many's the pound
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady
And this shall all be thine."

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says
"And I know that he loves me
And I would not give Brown Adam's love
For any false knight that I see."

So the knight drew out a purse of gold
That was filled right up to the string
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady
And this shall all be thine."

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says
"And I know that he loves me
And I would not give Brown Adam′s love
For any false knight such as thee."

So the knight drew out his noble sword
And it flashed there all in her eye
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady
Or through you this shall go."

Then a-sighing says the lady gay
"Brown Adam tarries long."
Then up there jumped him Brown Adam
He says, "Lady, I′m here at your hand."

And he's made him leave his bow and his bow
And he′s made him leave his brand
And he's made him leave a far better thing
Four fingers of his right hand