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Fair Ellender Lyrics by Jerry Garcia, David Grisman

Shady Grove

1996

Father, oh father, come riddle to me
Come riddle it all as one
And tell me whether to marry fair Ellen
Or bring the brown girl home
The brown girl she has house and land
Fair Ellender she has none
And there I charge you with the blessing
To bring the brown girl home
He got on his horse and he rode and he rode
He rode 'til he came to her home
And no one as rеady as fair Ellen herself
To risе and bid him in
What news have you brought unto me, Lord Thomas?
What news have you brought unto me?
I've come to invite you to my wedding
A sorrowful wedding to be
Mother, oh mother, would you go or stay?
Fair child do as you please
I'm afraid if you go, you'll never return
To see your dear mother any more
She turned around all dressed in white
Her sisters dressed in green
And every town that she rode through
Took her to be some queen
They rode and they rode 'til they came to the hall
She pulled on the bell and it rang
And no one so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and welcome her in
He taking her by her lily white hand
And leading her through the hall
Saying, "Fifty gay ladies are here today
"But here is the flower of all"
The brown girl she was standing by
With knife ground keen and sharp
Between the long ribs and the short
She pierced fair Ellender's heart
Lord Thomas he was standing by
With knife ground keen and sharp
Between the long ribs and the short
He pierced his own bride's heart
By placing the handle against the wall
The point against his breast
Saying, "This is the end of three true lovers
"God send us all to rest"
Father, oh father, go dig my grave
Go dig it wide and deep
And place fair Ellender in my arms
The brown girl at my feet
Credits
Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia

David Grisman

David Grisman

About “Fair Ellender” by Jerry Garcia

Read the complete lyrics to "Fair Ellender" by Jerry Garcia, David Grisman from the album "Shady Grove" in 1996. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Fair Ellender" is performed by Jerry Garcia, David Grisman. from the album "Shady Grove" in 1996 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Fair Ellender", explore more songs by Jerry Garcia, David Grisman using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Fair Ellender" is credited to Jerry Garcia, David Grisman. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Fair Ellender" appears on "Shady Grove" in 1996.

Visit the Jerry Garcia, David Grisman artist page at /artist/jerry-garcia for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.