Jack Orion was as good fiddler
As ever fiddled on a string,
And he could drive young women mad
With the tune his wires would sing.

Jack Orion was as good fiddler
As ever fiddled on a string,
And he could drive young women mad
By the tune his wires would sing.

He could fiddle the fish out of salt water
Or water from a marble stone,
Or the milk out of a maiden's breast
Though baby she had none.

But he would fiddle the fish out of salt water,
Water from bare marble stone,
Or the milk from out of a maiden's breast
Though baby she had none.

So he sat and played in the castle hall
And fiddled them all so sound asleep,
Except it was for the young countess,
And for love she stayed awake.

And there he played in the castle hall
And there he played them fast asleep,
Except it was for the young countess,
And for love she stayed awake.

And first he played a slow, slow air
And then he played it brisk and gay,
And, “O dear love,” behind her hand
This lady she did say.

And first he played there a slow, slow air
And then he played it brisk and gay,
And it's, “O dear love,” behind her hand
The lady she did say.

“Ere the day has dawned and the cocks have crown
And flapped their wings so wide,
It's you may come up to my bedroom door
And stretch out at my side.”

“Ere the day has dawned and the cocks have crown
And flapped their wings so wide,
It's you must come up to my chamber there
And lie down by my side.”

So he lapped his fiddle in a cloth of green
And he stole out on his tip toe,
And he's off back to his young boy Tom
As fast as he could go.

So he lapped his fiddle in a cloth of green
And he stole out on his tip toe,
And he's off back to his young boy Tom
As fast as he could go.

“Ere the day has dawned and the cocks have crown
And flapped their wings so wide,
I'm bid to go to that lady's door
And stretch out at her side.”

“Ere the day has dawned and the cocks have crown
And flapped their wings so wide,
I'm bid to go up to that lady's door
And stretch out by her side.”

“Well lie down, rest you, my good master,
Here's a blanket to your hand.
And I'll waken you in as good a time
As any cock in the land.”

“Lie down, lie down, me good master
And here's a blanket to your hand.
And I'll waken you in as good a time
As any cock in the land.”

And Tom took the fiddle into his hand,
Fiddled and he sang for a full hour,
Till he played his master fast asleep
And he's off to that lady's bower.

So Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he sang for a full hour,
Until he played him fast asleep
And he's off to the lady's bower.

And when he come to the countess' door
He twirled so softly at the pin,
And the lady true to her promise
Rose up and let him in.

And when he come to the countess' door
He twirled so softly at the pin,
And the lady true to her promise
Rose up and let him in.

Well he didn't take that lady gay
To bolster or to bed,
But down upon her bedroom floor
Right soon he had her laid.

Well he did not take that lady gay
To bolster nor to bed,
But down upon the hard cold bedroom floor
Right soon he had her laid.

And he neither kissed her when he came
Nor yet when from her he did go,
But in and out of her bower window
The moon like a coal did glow.

And neither did he kiss her when he came
Nor when from her he did go,
But in at the lady's bedroom window
The moon like a coal did glow.

“Oh ragged are your stockings, love,
And stubble is your cheek and chin,
And tangled is that yellow hair
That I saw late yestre'en.”

“Oh ragged are your stockings, love,
And stubbly is your cheek and chin,
And tousled is that yellow hair
That I saw late yestre'en.”

“My stockings belong to my boy Tom
And they were the first come to my hand,
And I tangled all my yellow hair
When coming against the wind”

“My stockings belong to my boy Tom
But they were the first came to my hand,
And the wind did tousle my yellow hair
As I rode over the land.”

He took his fiddle into his hand,
So saucy there he sang,
And he's off back to his own master
As fast as could run.

Tom took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so saucily,
And he's off back to his master's house
As fast as go could he.

“Well up, well, my master dear,
For while you sleep and snore so loud
There's not a cock in all this land
But has flapped his wings and crowed.”

“Then up, then up, my good master,
Why snore you there so loud?
For there is not a cock in all this land
But has clapped his wings and crowed.”

Jack Orion took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so merrily,
And he's off away to the lady's house
As fast as go could he.

Jack Orion took the fiddle into his hand
And he fiddled and he played so merrily,
And he's off away to the lady's house
As fast as go could he.

Well, when he come to the lady's door
The fiddler twirled upon the pins,
Saying softly, “Here's your own true love,
Rise up and let me in.”

And when he come to the lady's door
He twirled so softly at the ring,
Saying, “Oh me dear it's your true love,
Rise up and let me in.”

She says,“Surely you didn't leave behind
A bracelet or a velvet glove,
Or are you returned back again
To taste more of me love?”

She said “Surely you didn't leave behind
A golden brooch nor a velvet glove,
Or are you returned back again
To taste more of me love?”

Jack Orion swore a bloody oath,
“By oak and ash and bitter thorn,
Lady, I never was in your room
Since the day that I was born.”

Jack Orion he swore a bloody oath,
“By oak, by ash, by bitter thorn,
Lady, I never was in this room
Since the day that I was born.”

“Oh then it was your little foot page
That falsely has beguiled me,
And woe that the blood of that ruffian boy
Should spring in my body.”

“Oh then it was your own boy Tom
That cruelly has beguiled me,
And woe that the blood of that ruffian boy
Should spring in my body.”

And home then went Jack Orion, crying,
“Tom, my lad, come here to me!”
And he hanged that boy from his own gatepost
High as the willow tree.

Jack Orion took off to his own house saying,
“Tom, my boy, come here to me!”
And he hanged that boy from his own gatepost
As high as the willow tree.