Henry's Songbook

Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like some rose so fair
She's got the sweetest face, she's got the gentlest hands
I love the ground whereon she stands

I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
I have a wish the day would come
When she and I could be as one

I go to the Clyde, I mourn and weep
Satisfied I never can be
I write her a letter, just a few short lines
And suffer death a thousand times

(Repeat 1)

Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like some roses fair
She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands
And I love the ground whereon she stands

I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
I wish the day it soon would come
When she and I could be as one

I go to the Clyde, I mourn and weep
Satisfied I never can be
Then I write her a letter, just a few short lines
And suffer death a thousand times

For black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like some roses fair
She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands
And I love the ground whereon she stands

As sung by Christy Moore

 [1963:] Many a folk-singer cut his eye teeth [...] on the John Jacob Niles arrangement of this song which was popularized by Burl Ives. [...] Alan Lomax believes the song is an American "re-make of British materials." (Reprint Sing Out 5, 289)

 [1982:] Nach Alan Lomax stammt die erste Strophe dieses Liedes von dem auf beiden Seiten des Atlantiks bekannten Song The Sailor Boy. Lomax weist Ähnlichkeiten in der Melodie mit anderen Liedern nach (u.a. Fair and Tender Ladies, Poor Wayfaring Stranger und Greenback Dollar). Als Vorbild könnten altenglische Liebeslieder gedient haben, aber die Menschen in den abgelegenen Teilen der Appalachen haben es in verschiedenen Versionen zu einem deutlich amerikanischen Song umgeformt. (Linde 128)

 [1984:] Learnt from the singing of Hamish Imlach. There is a West Clare version which I have heard sung by Liam Weldon. Even though the songs are dissimilar in melody the lyrics are similar. (CMSB56)

 [1990:] [In the late 1950s] the Glasgow group The Reivers were singing Scots traditional songs on STV's Jigtime. [...] 'We wanted to sing Black Is the Colour, but STV said it wasn't Scottish - so we quoted the verse about 'I go to the Clyde and I mourn and weep'. That convinced them.' (McVicar, ISIS 36)

 [1995:] A song I learnt in the late 50s from a pirate recording of Nina Simone. Once again the tune as I remembered and played it seems to bear no resemblance to the original. Many people now play my version. (Notes Hamish Imlach, 'More and Merrier')

See also
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=32248
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=18179Black is the Color of My True Love's Eye