---
title: The Cruel Mother (Traditional)
tags:
  - authorship/other
  - exclude-from-word-count
  - topic/hobbies/music/banjo
  - type/media/music
---
# The Cruel Mother (Traditional)

[The cruel mother (greenwood sidey) - Scarlett Sladek](https://youtu.be/hR6njM2x140)

## Lyrics

```verse
There lived a lady, lived in york
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
She fell in love with her own father's clark
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's leaned her back against a tree
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
Said "Honorable Mary, pity me"
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's leaned herself against an oak
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
She thought three times that her back would be broke
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's leaned her back against a thorn
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
And there she's had two bonnie babes born
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's taken her ribbon, long and neat
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
And tied those babes their hands and feet
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's taken up her small pen knife
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
With which to take their two wee lives
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's taken the pen knife, long and sharp
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
And pressed it into their tender hearts
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's wiped her pen knife on the grass
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
(The more)? she wiped the blood ran fast
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She's dug a grave both wide and deep
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
In which to put those babes to sleep
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

She went to walk in the woods one night
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
She saw two babes dressed all in white
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

Oh bonnie babes if you were mine
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
I'd dress you up in silk so fine
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

Oh mother mother we were thine
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
You did not dress us in silk so fine
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

Oh bonnie babes what will become of me
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
You'll be seven years a bird in a tree
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

Seven years a bird in a tree
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
Then seven years more a fish in the sea
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey

Then seven years more a tongue in a bell
All alone and a-lonely, oh!
Then seven years more a-burning in hell
Down by the greenwood sidey, oh!
Down by the greenwood sidey
```

## Tablature

```lily
\version "2.24.4"
\paper { indent=0 }
\header {
  title="The Cruel Mother"
  instrument="5-String Banjo (Open G, Capo 4)"
  composer="Scarlett Sladek" % probably. I haven't found a similar version.
  % arranger="Publius"
  tagline = ##f
}
global = { \time 4/4 \tempo 2 = 120 \key b \major }
mel_a = { %\global

  %b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3\mf
  <fis\4 b\3 dis'\2 fis'\1>8 \deadNote b'8\5 % There
  gis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 gis4\4 % lived
  b8\3 \deadNote b'8\5 % a
  gis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 % la-
  gis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 % -dy,
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5 % lived
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5 % in
  fis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 % Yo-
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5 % rk
}

mel_b = { %\global
  \break
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5 % All
  b4\3 b8\3 \deadNote b'8\5 % Al-
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5 % -one
  fis4\4 % and
  gis8\4 b'8\5 % a-
  cis'4\3 cis'8\3 b'8\5 cis'4\3 % -lone-
  cis'8\3 b'8\5 % -ly,
  cis'4\3 cis'8\3 b'8\5 % oh!

}
mel_c = {
  \break
  cis'4\3 % (breath)
  b8\3 \deadNote b'8\5 % She
  gis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 % fell
  gis4\4 b8\3 b'8\5 % in
  gis4\4 gis8\4 b'8\5 % love
  fis4\4 % with
  fis8\4 b'8\5 % her
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5 % own
  fis4\4 gis8\4 \deadNote b'8\5 % father's
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5
  fis4\4 fis8\4 b'8\5 % clark
}
mel_d = { %\global
  \break
  b4\3\accent b8\3 \deadNote b'8\5 % Down
  cis'4\3 dis'8\2 \deadNote b'8\5 % by the
  cis'4\3 cis'8\3 b'8\5 % green-
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5 % -wood
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
}
mel_e = { %\global
  \break
  b4\3 b8\3 \deadNote b'8\5 % Down
  cis'4\3 dis'8\2 \deadNote b'8\5 % by the
  cis'4\3 cis'8\3 b'8\5 % green-
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5 % -wood
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5
}
mel_f = { %\global
  \break
  fis'4\1 <fis'\1 dis'\2>8 b'8\5
  gis'4\1 <fis'\1 dis'\2 fis'\1>8 b'8\5
  %gis'8\1( fis'8\1) fis'8\1 b'8\5
  dis'4\2 cis'8\3 \deadNote b'8\5
  b4\3\> b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3\p b8\3 b'8\5
  b4\3 b8\3 b'8\5

}
voc_a = { %\global
  %r2
  r4
  fis4 % There
  gis2~ gis4 % lived
  gis4 % a
  gis2 % la-
  fis2 % -dy,
  fis2 % lived
  fis2 % in
  gis2( gis2) % York
}

voc_b = { %\global
  \break
  fis2 % All
  fis4 fis2~ fis4 % alone
  gis4 % and
  gis4 % a-
  cis'2~ cis'4 % -lone-
  cis'4 % -ly,
  cis'2 % oh!
}
voc_c = { %\global
  \break
  r4
  fis4 % She
  gis2( gis4) % fell
  gis4 % in
  gis2 % love
  fis4 % with
  fis4 % her
  fis2 % own
  fis4 gis4 % father's
  fis2( fis2) % clark
}
voc_d = { %\global
  \break
  fis2 % Down
  cis'4 % by
  cis'4 % the
  b2 % green-
  cis'2 % -wood
  cis'2( cis'4) % si-
  cis'4 % -dey,
  cis'4 % oh!
  r4 % (breath)
}
voc_e = { %\global
  \break
  fis2
  cis'4
  cis'4
  b2
  cis'2
  cis'1
  cis'1
}

lyr_a = \lyricmode { There lived a la -- dy, lived in York, }
lyr_b = \lyricmode { All a -- lone and a -- lone -- ly, oh! }
lyr_c = \lyricmode { She fell in love with her own fa -- ther’s clark, }
lyr_d = \lyricmode { Down by the green -- wood si -- dey, oh! }
lyr_e = \lyricmode { Down by the green -- wood si -- dey. }

\score {
  <<
    \new TabStaff \with {
      midiInstrument = "banjo"
      tablatureFormat = #fret-number-tablature-format-banjo
      stringTunings = \stringTuning <b' fis b dis' fis'> % Open G <g' d g b d'> capo'd to fret 4
      % stringTunings = #banjo-open-g-tuning % equivalent to \stringTuning <g' d g b d'>
    }
    {
      % \set Score.stringOneTopmost = ##f
      \override Beam.concaveness = #10000
      \clef moderntab
      \numericTimeSignature
      \stemDown
      \tabFullNotation
      \global
      \mel_a
      \mel_b
      \mel_c
      \mel_d
      \mel_e
      \mel_f
    }

    \new Staff = "voice" <<
      \new Voice = "vocal" \with {midiInstrument = "choir oohs"} {
        \global
        \voc_a
        \voc_b
        \voc_c
        \voc_d
        \voc_e
      }
    >>
    \new Lyrics \lyricsto "vocal" {
      \lyr_a
      \lyr_b
      \lyr_c
      \lyr_d
      \lyr_e
    }
  >>
  \layout { }
  \midi { }
}

```
