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Cruel Sister Lyrics by Pentangle

Cruel Sister

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[Verse 1]
There lived a lady by the North Sea shore
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Two daughters were the babes she bore
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 2]
As one grew bright as is the sun
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
So coal black grew the elder one
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 3]
A knight came riding to the lady's door
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
He'd travelled far to be their wooer
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 4]
He courted one with gloves and rings
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
But he loved the other above all things
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 5]
"Oh sister, will you go with me"
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"To watch the ships sail on the sea?"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 6]
She took her sister by the hand
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
And led her down to the North Sea strand
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 7]
And as they stood on the windy shore
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
The dark girl threw her sister o'er
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 8]
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Crying, "Sister, reach to me your hand!"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 9]
"Oh sister, sister, let me live"
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"And all that's mine I'll surely give"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 10]
"Your own true love that I'll have and more"
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"But thou shalt never come ashore"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 11]
And there she floated like a swan
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
The salt sea bore her body on
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 12]
Two minstrels walked along the strand
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
And saw the maiden float to land
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 13]
They've made a harp of her breastbone
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
Whose sound would melt a heart of stone
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 14]
They took three locks of her yellow hair
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
And with them strung the harp so rare
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 15]
They went into her father's hall
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
To play the harp before them all
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 16]
But as they laid it on a stone
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
The harp began to play alone
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 17]
The first string sang a doleful sound
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"The bride her younger sister drowned"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 18]
The second string as that they tried
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"In terror sits the black-haired bride"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la

[Verse 19]
The third string sang beneath their bow
Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
"And surely now her tears will flow"
Fa, la-la-la, la, la-la, la, la, la
Credits
Pentangle

Pentangle

About “Cruel Sister” by Pentangle

Read the complete lyrics to "Cruel Sister" by Pentangle from the album "Cruel Sister". 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.

"Cruel Sister" is performed by Pentangle. from the album "Cruel Sister" 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 "Cruel Sister", explore more songs by Pentangle 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.

View all songs and biography for Pentangle · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Cruel Sister" is credited to Pentangle. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Cruel Sister" appears on "Cruel Sister".

Visit the Pentangle artist page at /artist/pentangle for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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