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Willie’s Lady (Child 6) Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer

Child Ballads

2013

King Willie, he sailed over the raging foam
He's wooed a wife and he's brought her home
He's brought her home all against his mother's will
His mother wrought her a wicked spell
And a wicked spell she's laid on her
She'd be with child for long and many's the year
But the child she would never bear
And in her bower she lies in pain
King Willie by her bedside he would stand
As down his cheeks sodden tears do run
King Willie, back to his mother he did run
And he's gone there as a beggin' son
Says "My true love has this fine, noble steed
The likes of which you have never seen
And at every part of this horse's mane
There's hangin' fifty silver bells and ten
Hangin' fifty bells and ten
This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to my own true love you'll turn again
So she might bear her baby son"
"O of the child she'll never lighter be
Nor from my curse will she e'er be free
But she will die and she will turn to clay
And you will wed with another maid"
And sighing, says this weary man
As back to his own true love he's gone again:
"I wish my life was at an end"
King Willie back to his mother he did run
And he's gone there as a beggin' son
Says "My true love has this fine, golden girdle
Set with jewels all about the middle
And at every part of this girdle's hem
There's hangin' fifty silver bells and ten
Hangin' fifty bells and ten
This goodly gift shall be your own
If back to my own true love you'll turn again
So she might bear her baby son
"O of the child she'll never lighter be
Nor from my curse will she e'er be free
But she will die and she will turn to clay
And you will wed with another maid"
And sighing, says this weary man
As back to his own true love he's gone again:
"I wish my life was at an end"
And up and spoke his noble Queen
And she has told King Willie of a plan
How she might bear her baby son
Says "You must get you down to the marketplace
And you must buy a ball of wax
And you must shape it as a babe that is to nurse
And you must make two eyes of glass
And ask your mother to the christening-day
And you must stand there close as you can be
So you might hear what she does say
King Willie, he's gone down to the marketplace
He has bought a ball of wax
And he has shaped it as a babe that is to nurse
And he has made two eyes of glass
He asked his mother to the christening-day
And he has stood there close as he could be
So he might hear what she did say
And how she spat and how she swore
She spied the babe where no babe could be before
She spied the babe where none could be before
Says "Who was it who undid the nine witch knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks?
And who is it is who the leather shoe untied
From the left foot of this wedded bride?
And who was it split the silken thread
The spider stretched all beneath this lady's bed
The spider stretched all beneath her bed?"
And it was Willie who undid the nine witch knots
Braided in amongst this lady's locks
And it was Willie who the leather shoe untied
From the left foot of this wedded bride
And it was Willie split the silken thread
The spider stretched all beneath this lady's bed
The spider stretched all beneath her bed
And she has borne him a baby son
And great are the blessings that be then upon
Great are the blessings then upon
Credits
Anaïs Mitchell

Anaïs Mitchell

Jefferson Hamer

Jefferson Hamer

About “Willie’s Lady (Child 6)” by Anaïs Mitchell

Read the complete lyrics to "Willie’s Lady (Child 6)" by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer from the album "Child Ballads" in 2013. 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, Folk.

"Willie’s Lady (Child 6)" is performed by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer. from the album "Child Ballads" in 2013 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 "Willie’s Lady (Child 6)", explore more songs by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer 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

"Willie’s Lady (Child 6)" is credited to Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Willie’s Lady (Child 6)" appears on "Child Ballads" in 2013.

Visit the Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer artist page at /artist/anais-mitchell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.