A Folk Song A Day

Jon admits “I had forgotten about this song, but I finally managed to get back to FSC last month and was reminded of it there. It’s fascinating to see how some songs had evolved since I’d last camped (six years ago or so). This is a distant cousin of the The Prentice Boy, Cruel Knife, Worcester City, etc.”

It immediately made me think of Neil Young’s Down By The River, which I guess is part Neil, part Hey Joe and part this, but then I suppose it belongs in the long tradition of murder ballads. I was also somewhat amused to see a quest to link this to some historical event as surely Jon has this one right as an Americanised version of the title he mentions above to which I’ll add Banks Of red Roses. A worthy entrant into the murder ballad canon it is, however, with an intriguing couple of female variant also surfacing, albeit recent rewrites as you’ll see on this Mudcat thread.

Jon acknowledges that “This will always be associated with Robin and Barry Dransfield, although Graham Metcalf also does a fine version. It sort of feels like it’s going to be a sad song but then it just gets happier and happier, which makes it very unusual – it’s normally the other way around…”

I must say this one confused me a little to start with (It’s not hard let’s face it!) with the word ‘rout’ and my instant thought of disaster. Thankfully Mudcat was at hand with this most useful post explaining that the word used has another meaning of muster or bring out of hiding. It’s also interesting to see that it derives from Old English rather than Old French via Middle English. I’m also grateful for the regimental detail and if there are any military historians looking in who know more about the regiment I’d like to know. Anyway, the song makes sense now, with the young lasses presumably lamenting the imminent deployment of the gallant young soldiers and everyone else swept up with the glory of it. Marvellous!

Jon admits “This doesn’t really work without a chorus but I didn’t have one to hand I’m afraid. I think I prefer it with a dovetailing chorus (as on Hedonism but also on the Young Traditions version from where I learnt it) but again that doesn’t work when you’re by yourself!”

I’m sure you’ll all know it by now, but it’s still interesting to hear this one shorn of all its punk-funk-folk-shanty-madness. I’m sure it was at Shepherd’s Bush last November that Jon drolly introduced this by saying, “Lots of people have asked us to drop this one… But we don’t do requests.” I remember the shock of hearing for the first time, but it’s now so ingrained as to scarcely register as anything odd. It did send me scurrying back to Bert Lloyd’s version on the Sailor’s Songs & Sea Shanties CD and even that one benefits from a massed “Haul him Away.” The only thing I can suggest is to join in yourselves and give Jon a hand. It’s also interesting to see on Mainly Norfolk that Maddy Prior has had a crack at this one and the extra verses will perhaps add an appeal to the singers amongst you. Mind you, I’m sure you could make up your own with impunity as I’m sure many will have done so before you.

Jon enthuses “This is a great anthemic number. I know it from Nic Jones’ version but also from James Fagan and Ian Giles. What a great chorus.”

Nic has this on Penguin Eggs of course and it’s written by Paul Metsers. In this case I’ll simply refer you to Mainly Norfolk as Reinhard has a note from Paul explaining how the song came about. You can also link to Paul’s website here and you’ll note his debt of thanks to Nic for the inclusion. Having moved to the UK and been active on the folk circuit through the 80s, he’s long since stopped the national touring although still plays locally to his Kendal home. You’ll find his CDs are being made available to mail order and you can listen to some samples as well. It’s surely worth a few minutes. You might also like a quick Wiki at the story of the New Zealand gold rush as there’s some fascinating stuff to be read there. I’ll note not for the first time that the trades that set up to support the prospectors were more profitable than most of the gold mining and panning that went on. There clearly was a substantial amount of gold to be had, but it would take some serious equipment and modern processes to extract it in any serious quantity. It must have been an unbearable life for most, always one shovel full away from a strike.

Jon reveals “I’ve learnt this recently and am a bit torn whether to use the ‘sinking’ verse or not although I’ve left it in for now though. I quite like the ‘what hills’ verses being more abstract – more like he’s an actual demon taking her directly to Hell.”

Another in the Child collection (#243) also known as The Demon Lover and James Harris (Herries) this is one of those ballads that seems to have it all and was widely known in C17th, although is probably based on a much older story. Despite that it was printed as a broadside with the very specific detail of “A Warning for Married Women, being an example of Mrs. Jane Reynolds (a West-country woman), born near Plymouth, who, having plighted her troth to a Seaman, was afterwards married to a Carpenter, and at last carried away by a Spirit, the manner how shall be presently recited.” If you follow that story line then the first example from Child that you’ll see here seems to be absolutely on the mark. Whether it relates to an actual historical scandal (possibly the talk of the town) of a woman leaving her family behind and sailing off into the sunset is questionable. The appearance of her former fiancé as a spirit seems somewhat fanciful to be a report of a real event. More likely it’s another moralising tale or fable. It certainly makes sense of why in some versions the lady, once led astray, pays the ultimate price and is damned to Hell. That to me feels like an old folk tale or myth being retold, but also where, not for the first time, an empty shelf in the knowledge bank does for my extemporizing. Perhaps someone can help me out and link it to Greek or Norse myth or something even more exotic. Besides like Jon I’m rather fond of the verses that he’s included relating to hills of Heaven and Hell, which provide a poetic lift. You probably want to have a quick look at Mainly Norfolk for Bert’s notes from whence the above quote is lifted, plus some other bits. Mudcat here seems to have the lyric set that Jon follows. A quick Wiki here will also reveal the astonishing number of recorded versions of this. I think through all of that I’d have to agree with Bert’s comments that the Scottish versions seem to play up the supernatural element and thus have the greater drama and “better texts”.