Folk Song for January 2025: Keys Of Canterbury

"The Keys of Canterbury” (some versions say “to Canterbury”) is a dialogue song from England, similar to “A Paper of Pins,” a song which is better known in the United States and which you can read about here.  The verses are often performed in turn by a male and a female singer. The song is sometimes titled “Madam, Will You Walk?”

Lyrics 

This version is from the Contemplator folk song website.

O Madam, I will give you
The keys of Canterbury,
And all the bells in London
Shall ring to make us merry.
If you will be my joy, my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere.

I shall not, Sir, accept of you
The keys of Canterbury,
Nor all the bells in London,
Shall ring to make us merry.
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give to you
A pair of boots of cork,
The one was made in London,
The other made in York,
If you will be my joy, my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere.

I shall not, Sir, accept of you
A pair of boots of cork,
Though both were made in London,
Or both were made in York.
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give you
A little gold bell,
To ring for your servants,
And make them serve you well.
If you will be my joy, my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere.

I shall not, Sir, accept of you
A little gold bell,
To ring for all my servants,
And make them serve me well.
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give you
A gallant silver chest,
With a key of gold and silver
And jewels of the best.
If you will be my joy, my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere.

I shall not, Sir, accept of you
A gallant silver chest,
With a key of gold and silver
And jewels of the best.
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

O Madam, I will give you
A broidered silken gownd,
With nine yards a-drooping
And training on the ground,
If you will be my joy, my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere.

O Sir, I will accept of you
A broidered silken gownd,
With nine yards a-drooping
And training on the ground,
Then I will be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
And walk along with you, anywhere.

Video Links

We recommend the following videos:

Lisa Theriot’s recording 

This slightly slower version, from the album Nevermind Catherine's Chants Of Love And Death (2009)  . The Youtube video shows performers from the dance studio “Kadans.” 

Families with younger children may enjoy this less “arty” but very fun Wiggles video, titled “Madam Will You Walk,” from The Emma and Lachy Show. (Note that it refers to the “keys of Cheshire” rather than Canterbury.)

One upbeat (more contemporary) recording is by the folk group Show of Hands from their album Arrogance Ignorance and Greed, but we add the caution that they insert an original verse which contains mild profanity.

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline. 

Folk Song for October 2024: Early One Morning

“Early One Morning” is an English folk song apparently dating to the eighteenth century, yet which sounds like it belongs to an even earlier time, perhaps of minstrels with lutes. (Canadians over a certain age may associate it with the sound of harps and recorders, as it was the theme of the Friendly Giant children's T.V. show.)

Someone has commented that it’s a very cheery song in spite of its tale of lost love, and perhaps that has contributed to its longevity. Nineteenth-century music publisher William Chappell wrote that “If I were required to name three of the most popular songs among the servant-maids of the present generation, I should say, from my own experience, that they are Cupid's Garden, I sow'd the seeds of love, and Early one morning.” However, its popularity was not limited only to servants;  composers such as Benjamin Britten and Percy Grainger also arranged the song as a choral work, and it was incorporated into longer pieces such as the Nell Gwyn Overture by Edward German.

Lyrics

As with many folk songs, this song has different versions. These are the lyrics most typically heard.

Early one morning,
Just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing,
In the valley below.

CHORUS:
Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?

Remember the vows,
That you made to your Mary [made to me truly],
Remember the bow'r,
Where you vowed to be true,
Chorus

Oh gay is the garland,
And fresh are the roses,
I've culled from the garden,
To place upon [bind on] thy brow.
Chorus

Thus sang the poor maiden,
Her sorrows bewailing,
Thus sang the poor maid,
In the valley below.
Chorus

Video Links

We suggest these recordings: 

Nana Mouskouri, from her album Quand tu chantes. Nana’s lyrics are a bit different from those we have given above.

This acapella arrangement from the CD “Early One Morning” by Diane Sutherland and Bruno “Elevteros” Libert.

The Celtic Ladies have an arrangement that we think might have met with the approval of our friend and Advisory colleague Lynn Bruce. 

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline.

Folk Song for January 2024: The Water is Wide (Oh Waly, Waly)

"The Water Is Wide" (also called "O Waly, Waly" or "Waly, Waly") is a  Scottish folk song that was also known in southern England. “Waly” means “wail” or “woe.” 

Folklorist Cecil Sharp included the song (compiled from various versions) in Folk Songs From Somerset (1906). There were, in fact, so many different versions of this song, that it can be considered a “family of lyrics.” Since it has “grandparent” songs (such as the ballad “Jamie Douglas”), it also has “cousins” based on those earlier sources (such as “Carrickfergus” and "Peggy Gordon"); and there are also “descendants,” including the modern version of “The Water is Wide,” which was popularized by Pete Seeger.

The melody has been arranged by classical composers, such as Benjamin Britten and John Rutter (it is the third movement in Rutter's Suite for Strings). It has also been used for Christian hymns, such as John Bell’s “When God Almighty Came to Earth; and other hymns (such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”) can be sung to this tune.

 Which Version to Sing?

Like so many folk songs, there are versions and verses that are family-friendly, and there are others that are not. Even Pete Seeger’s version has verses that you may prefer not to sing with children; please preview.

Here are the lyrics as sung by Karla Bonoff (a favourite version of Advisory member Leslie Laurio). 

1.   1. The water is wide, I can’t cross o’er

and neither have I wings to fly

Give me a boat that can carry two

And both shall row, my love and I

2. Oh, love is gentle and love is kind

The sweetest flower when first it’s new

But love grows old and waxes cold

And fades away like morning dew.

(instrumental bridge)

3. There is a ship and she sails the sea,

She’s loaded deep as deep can be,

But not as deep as the love I’m in,

I know not how I sink or swim.

4. The water is wide, I can’t cross o’er

And neither have I wings to fly.

Give me a boat that can carry two,

And both shall row, my love and I.

And both shall row, my love and I.

Where does the “Waly, Waly” fit in?

The original Scottish words to the song can be read online (such as on Wikipedia), and they include these words of lament:

O Waly, waly up the bank,
And waly, waly doun the brae,
And waly, waly, yon burn-side,
Where I and my love wont to gae.
I lean'd my back into an aik,
I thocht it was a trusty tree;
But first it bow'd, and syne it brak,
Sae my true love did lightly me.

But modern English versions do not include them.

Other Video Links

Advisory member Donna-Jean Breckenridge likes this version by James Taylor.

Donna-Jean also likes this recording by Joan Baez, from the album Farewell Angelina. 

Here is Pete Seeger's recording, from the album Pete Seeger Now. This is a good one for singing (and humming) along. 

Finally, one that’s a bit more upbeat: Bob Dylan with Joan Baez, recorded in 1975.

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline.

Folk Song for November 2022: The Fox

One of the oldest known folk songs, The Fox dates at least as far back as the 15^th century! (Check the song's Wikipedia page if you’d like to see the lyrics in Middle English.) This one becomes more fun the faster you sing it, so start at a comfortable learning tempo but do gradually pick up the pace as you learn it!

It’s the longest lyric set of the folk songs for this year, but it's easier to learn than you might anticipate because it tells a story, so the verses have a logical narrative sequence, and also because there are repeated lines in each verse. So take heart! Just bite off one verse at a time and soon you'll all have it down pat. 

Also, we oh-so-helpfully scheduled it for November in case your kids want to keep plugging away at it over Christmas break. You’re welcome. 

😆

The recording by Peter, Paul, and Mary is jolly and funny, while the Nickel Creek recording showcases superb musicianship (this track is from their 2000 debut album, which was nominated for 2 Grammys)— and is perfectly suitable for dancing a reel if you’re so inclined!

Peter, Paul, and Mary's version (Youtube)

Nickel Creek's version (Youtube)

The Fox

Oh the fox went out on a chilly night

Prayed for the moon to give him light

For he had many a mile to go that night

Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o

Many a mile to go that night before he reached the town-o

He ran till he came to a great big pen

Where the ducks and the geese were kept therein

He said, "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin

Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o

A couple of you are gonna grease my chin before I leave this town-o!"

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck

Threw the ducks across his back

He didn't mind the "quack, quack, quack"

And the legs all danglin' down-o, down-o, down-o

He didn't mind the "quack, quack, quack" and the legs all danglin' down-o

Then old mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed

Out of the window she popped her head

Cryin', "John, John, the grey goose is gone

And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o

John! John! The grey goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o!"

Then John he ran to the top of the hill

Blew his horn both loud and shrill

The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill

For they'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o,"

The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill for they'll soon be on my trail-o!"

Well he ran till he came to his cozy den

There were his little ones, eight, nine, ten

Cryin', "Daddy, daddy, better go back again

'Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o

Daddy, Daddy, better go back again cause it must be a mighty fine town-o!"

Then the fox and his wife, without any strife

Cut up the goose with a carving knife

They never had such a supper in their life

And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o

They never had such a supper in their life and the little ones chewed on the bones-o!

Here's a music video which features Peter Spier’s picture book illustrating The Fox song, which younger children will enjoy.

Lynn's Youtube Playlist for AO Folk Songs 2022-2023

Our helpful intro post is sure to liven up your folk song adventures.

For more information on our folk songs, and for Amazon affiliate 

links to purchase individual songs, see our AO Folk Songs page.

These affiliate links help support AmblesideOnline.

Term 3, Folksongs for year 2020-2021

 1. Brown Girl in the Ring

2. King John and the Abbot of Canterbury

3. The Saucy Sailor

Brown Girl in the Ring- this is a traditional Caribbean nursery rhyme and  a singing game. 
How to play 1: Stand in a circle with linked hands, one person in the center.  The group sings the song and then pause at 'show me your motions'. The center person performs some dance move. The next verse in this version is 'come and face your partner'. The center girl chooses somebody from the circle, faces her and they dance a bit and then trade places.  Here's a video of Jamaican school children playing this one.

How to play 2: The group stands in a circle like Farmer in the Dell, with one person in the middle. They circle the person in the center singing, and then stop at the end of the verse. The person in the middle chooses somebody in the circle to 'show their motion'- usually this is some personal dance move, but it can really be whatever works for your group- a funny face, the splits, jumping jacks, moon-walking, toe touching- once the designated person shows their motion, they trade places with the person in the middle, and the game repeats.   

You do not have to play it as a singing game at all, of course. You can just have fun singing it together.

The song was popularized in America during the seventies, mostly by a group called Boney M, which had quite a colourful background (the singers mostly didn't sing on the recordings). This video is the Boney M. Soundtrack with just lyrics (their costumes were really quite something).   Others had previously released it as well, but BoneyM is the group that hit the charts with it. 

Jamaican poet and singer Loise Bennet released an album of children's songs from Jamaica in the fifties.  It's faster, and instead of 'she looks like a sugar in a plum' she sings 'for he likes sugar and I like plum.'  Listen here (youtube) or via Amazon streaming if you have prime (it's .99 to download if you don't)https://amzn.to/33UlWFx

You'll find a score and other background material here.

Johnny Cakes:  In the U.S. Johnny Cakes are similar to pancakes. In Jamaica they are more like hush puppies, fried dumplings eaten with seasoned saltfish or cod.

Lyrics to the Boney M. version:

Brown girl in the ring

There's a brown girl in the ring

Tra la la la la There's a brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la la Brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la She looks like a sugar in a plum Plum plum Show me your motion Tra la la la la Come on show me your motion Tra la la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la She looks like a sugar in a plum Plum plum All had water run dry Got no way to wash my clothes

All had water run dry Got no way to wash my clothes I remember one Saturday night We had fried fish and Johnny-cakes I remember one Saturday night We had fried fish and Johnny-cakes Beng-a-deng Beng-a-deng Brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la There's a brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la la Brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la She looks like a sugar in a plum Plum plum Show me your motion Tra la la la la Come on show me your motion Tra la la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la She looks like a sugar in a plum Plum plum All had water run dry Got no way to wash my clothes All had water run dry Got no way to wash my clothes I remember one Saturday night We had fried fish and Johnny-cakes I remember one Saturday night We had fried fish and Johnny-cakes Beng-a-deng Beng-a-deng Brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la See, brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la la Brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la She looks like a sugar in a plum Plum plum Brown Girl in the Ring- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g0paKo  (this one has some  additional lyrics)-

You can find more info at the old cocojams site.  It was curated by Azizi Powell, who is African American.  A more recent version can be found here, where she lists cocojams and other blogs where she shared related material and says, "Much of the content of these blogs were previously found on my cocojams and jambalayah cultural websites. I curate all of these blogs on a voluntary basis. Each of these blogs have the primary goal of raising awareness about cultural aspects of African American culture and of other Black cultures throughout the world, particularly in regards to music & dance traditions."
Emphasis mine. 

2. King John and the Abbot of Canterbury

This ballad predates 1695, probably by a few hundred years. 1695 is just the date for the first printed version we have.  There are multiple versions, and the tune itself was popular enough to be used for many other songs as well.  The King John here is the bad King John we know of from stories of Robin Hood. He stayed home while his more popular brother Richard the Lion-Hearted joined the crusades.

 The song follows a common folk-take and ballad theme, a battle of wits between two people, one perhaps more powerful than the other, although that's not necessarily the case here- the Abbot and King John probably had similar power in their own domains- and a riddle to be answered.  In this case both powers are essentially defeated by a commoner, since one of them needs the help of a commoner in order to defeat the king.  That's fairly subversive.

  I suggest reading this through once or twice before singing it in order to be sure to get the joke. It switches to a dialogue at the third verse- King John speaks to the Abbot, the Abbot replies.

I'll tell you a story, a story anon, Concerning a prince and his name was King John. He was a prince and a prince of great might And he held up great wrong and he put down great right. Chorus (repeated after each verse): Derry down, down, hey derry down I'll tell you a story, a story so merry, Concerning the Abbot of Canterbury, Of his housekeeping and high renown Which caused him to go up to fair London town. “How now, Brother Abbot, it's told unto me That thou keepest a far better house than I. For thy housekeeping and high renown I fear you of treason against my crown.” “Well I hope, My Liege, that you hold me no grudge For spending of my true gotten goods.” “If you do not answer me questions three Thy head will be taken from thy body. “When I am set on my steed so high, With my crown of gold all on my head, With my nobility, joy, and much mirth, You must say to one penny how much I am worth. “And the next question you must not flout: How long I'll be riding the world about. And the third question you must not shrink: Tell to me truly what I do think.” “Well these are hard questions for my shallow wit I cannot answer Your Grace as yet. But if you will give me three days space I'll do my endeavour to answer Your Grace.” “Three days space to thee I will give, That is the longest that thou hast to live. If you do not answer these questions right Thy head will be taken from thy body quite.” Well as the shepherd was going to his fold He saw the abbot come riding along, “How now, Master Abbot, you're welcome home What news have you brought us from good King John?” “Sad news, sad news I have thee to give: I have but three days space for to live. If I do not answer him questions three My head will be taken from my body.” “Well, Master, have you never heard it yet A fool may teach a wise man wit? Lend me your horse and your apparel And I'll ride up to London and answer the quarrel.” “When I am set on my steed so high, With my crown of gold all on my head, With my nobility, joy, and much mirth, You must say to one penny how much I am worth.” “For thirty pence our Savior was sold Amongst the false Jews as we have been told Twenty-nine is the worth of thee For I think you are one penny worse than He.” “And the next question you must not flout: How long I'll be riding the world about?” “You must rise with the sun, ride with the same Till the next morning he rises again. Then I am sure you will have no doubt But in twenty-four hours you'll ride it about.” “And the third question you must not shrink: Tell to me truly what I do think.” “Ah, that I can do, it will make your heart merry You think I'm the Abbot of Canterbury But I'm his poor servant, as you may see, And I've come to beg pardon for he and for me.” Well the King he turned him around and did smile Saying, “You can be Abbot the other while.” “Oh no, My Lord, there is no need For I can neither write nor read.” “Then tuppence a week, I will give unto thee For this merry true jest you have told unto me. Tell the old Abbot when you get home You brought him a pardon from good King John.”

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HvKzLpim4XI sung by John Foster

Amazon version for purchase, by Simply English- this one is sung very, very fast: https://amzn.to/3izJCCS

Sheet music: https://archive.org/details/oldenglishdittie00chap/page/80/mode/2up

 3. The Saucy Sailor

A sea song along a theme we've seen in a previous song- the poor ragged lad proposes, he is refused quickly, and then it's revealed he has money, and the lass who spurned him wants to take back her refusal.  That doesn't work out well for her.

Jack or Jacky Tar was a common name for sailors with the Royal or Merchant Marines. It was not by itself an insult. The Navy lads themselves used the term and loved it.  Jack was a common name for a common man.  Tar was used on hemp ropes on the ship to keep them from rotting, and on sailors clothes to waterproof them, and sometimes high grade tar was dabbed on long ponytails to keep them out of the way, so probably sailors did smell of tar.

The Saucy Sailor Come, my own one, come, my fairest, Come and tell unto me, Could you fancy a poor sailor lad, Who has just come from sea? You are ragged, love, you are dirty, love, And your clothes smell much of tar. So begone, you saucy sailor boy, So begone, you Jack Tar! If I'm ragged, love, if I'm dirty, love, And my clothes smell much of tar, I have silver in me pocket, love, And of gold a bright store. When she heard those words come from him, On her bended knees she fell. I will marry my dear Henry

For I love a sailor lad so well. Do you think that I am foolish, love? Do you think that I am mad? That I'd wed with a poor country girl Where no fortune's to be had? I will cross the briny ocean I will whistle and I'll sing; Since you have refused the offer, love, Another girl shall have the ring. For I'm young, love, and I'm frolicksome, I'm good-temper'd, kind and free. And I don't give a single penny, boys What the world says of me.

The Maritime Singers are on youtube singing it here acapella: https://youtu.be/t3HeaMCNUzU The above lyrics are mostly the same, with a couple of variations.

Aaron Wilhoft sings it here, and I imagine many of you with lads would appreciate a male voice: https://youtu.be/7t_ZGS1et4Y

Amazon has The Wailing Jennies version for free if you have prime, 1.29 if you don't: https://amzn.to/2PN5aQb

My youtube playlist for all the folksongs this year: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IR3x_bkyR6OhkIG7ebE_R9TS5SLKE2D

English Country Garden

Youtube version

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow In an English country garden? I'll tell you now of some that I know And those I miss you'll surely pardon Daffodils, heart's ease and phlox Meadowsweet and lady smocks Gentian, lupine and tall hollyhocks Roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, forget-me-nots In an English country garden (In an English country garden) How many insects come here and go Through our English country garden? I'll tell you now of some that I know And those I miss you'll surely pardon Fireflies, moths and bees Spiders climbing in the trees Butterflies that drift in the gentle breeze There are snakes, ants that sting And other creeping things In an English country garden (In an English country garden) How many songbirds fly to and fro Through our English country garden? I'll tell you now of some that I know And those I miss you'll surely pardon Bobolink, cuckoo and quail Tanager and cardinal Bluebird, lark, thrush and nightingale There is joy in the spring When the birds begin to sing In an English country garden (In an English country garden)

(optional verse) Robin (robin, robin) don't forget the robin... (Don't forget the robin, robin) Robin (robin, robin) don't forget the robin...

My mother, who is in her seventies, remembers singing this in school as a child.

The Riddle Song, Folksong for February, 2018

Here are the lyrics to the Doc Watson version on this youtube video:
 I gave my love a cherry that has no stone.
I gave my love a chicken that had no bone.
 I gave my love a baby with no cryin',
And told my love a story that had no end.

 How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
 How can there be a baby with no cryin'?
How can you tell a story that has no end?

 A cherry when it's blooming, it has no stone.
And a chicken when it's pippin', there is no bone.
A baby when it's sleeping, there's no cryin'.
And when I say I love you, it has no end.

 Repeat first verse.

 Riddles and riddle songs are probably as old as human-kind. This particular song is over five hundred years old- the oldest version being a manuscript dated 1430, housed in a British museum.

 Although some of the riddles have changed over time, the cherry and the chicken have been there from the oldest version we know of. In some versions, the baby with no crying is a baby in the making. Folk songs are often ribald, but this has not historically been one of them. However, there have been several anachronistic attempts to make this one more earthy than it ever was.

 'Pippin', or pipping, is a chicken still in the egg, but just starting to peck it's way out, the idea that while still in the egg the bones have not yet developed or hardened.

 Some versions include a book that can't be read (it's still in the press), and similar notions, all of which, to me, charmingly communicate the notion that ideas are the seeds from which real things grow.

 This song has often been sung as a lullabye, and versions have been recorded by Burl Ives, Carly Simon, and the Meters (a funk band from New Orleans). It traveled from England to the American Appalachians, and probably back again. It is slower and not as immediately appealing to many children as some of our more lively suggestions, but I hope you don't skip it. Let it grow on you.

 You might consider engaging their interest by first introducing only the first verse. Ask them what they think the answers to the riddles are. Speculate a bit. Have fun with it. Have a bit of time wondering about or guessing the answers, learn the next verse. You could wait a few moments or a few days to introduce the answers in the next verse, just give the children some time to think about and speculate with you over the possible the answers before going on to the second verse.

 To borrow and paraphrase from Canadian storyteller Alice Kane, This song we are singing is five hundred years old. None of us will ever be five hundred years old.

 Here is a possibly related version, performed here by Pete Castle):
 I had four brothers, over the sea, Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
They each sent a present unto me,
 Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
Petrum, partrum, paradisi tempore,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,

 The first sent a cherry without any stone,
 Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
The second sent a chicken which had no bone,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
The third sent a blanket without any thread,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
The fourth sent a book which no man had read.

Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
Pitrum, partrum, paradisi tempore,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini

How can there be a cherry without any stone?
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
How Can there be a chicken without any bone?
Perry Merry Dixie Domini
How can there be a blanket without any thread?
Perry Merry Dixie Domini
How can there be a book no man has read?
Perry Merry Dixie Domini
Pitrum, partrum, paradisi tempore,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini

The cherry when it's blooming, it has no stone,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
The chicken when it's in the egg it has no bone
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
Petrum, partrum, paradisi tempori
Perry merry dixie domini

 The blanket on the sheep's back it has no thread
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
The book when it's in the press, no man has read
Perry Merry Dixie Domini,
Pitrum, partrum, paradisi tempore,
Perry Merry Dixie Domini.

 There are some slight variations between the above lyrics and the Pete Castle version. Can I say, with much warm and friendly affection and encouragement, please get over that. It realio, trulio doesn't matter. Your lyrics do not need to match up perfectly to the youtube video or other recordings. It's totally unimportant. You need to listen to the recorded version only enough to get the gist of the tune and rhythm. Then turn it of and sing and play for yourselves. Folksongs change over time and through regions, and between singers. Change them up yourselves, if you like. Don't be frustrated and unable to sing because your lyrics say blanket and the song says wool. It's totally irrelevant. Just sing.

Folksong, 2017/18, Term 1: An Acre of Land (Sing ovey and ivy)

https://youtu.be/NC1DLVhuDKU

https://youtu.be/J27CnN5oOM8

https://www.efdss.org/efdss-education/resource-bank/beginners-guide/fun-with-folk#acre-of-land

Acre Of Land

The word 'ivery' in this song is a dialect pronunciation of the word 'ivy'.

 

My father left me an acre of land

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I ploughed it with my ram’s horn,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I sowed it with my pepper box,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I harrowed it with my bramble bush,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I reaped it with my little penknife,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I sent it home in a walnut shell,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I threshed it with my needle and thread,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

I winnowed it with my handkerchief,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

I sent it to mill with a team of great rats,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

 

The carter brought a curly whip,

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

The whip went pop and the waggon it stopped.

There goes this ivery,

My father left me an acre of land,

And a bunch of green holly and ivery.

Here is another version with the same tune, slightly different lyrics (remember, folk songs are like that, and that's okay. You don't need One True Right Version- just pick.  Or mix.  It's okay, relax and have fun with them!)
:

https://youtu.be/F8PBQOVGDbE

My father he left me an acre of land,Sing ovey, sing ivy.My father he left me an acre of land,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I ploughed it one morning with a ram's horn,Sing ovey, sing ivy.I sowed it all over with two pepper corns,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

I harrowed it next with a bramble bush...

And reaped it all with my little penknife...

The little mice carried it into the barn...

I threshed it there with a fine goose quill...


The cat she carried it into the mill...

The miller he said that he'd work with a will...

My father he left me an acre of land,Sing ovey, sing ivy.My father he left me an acre of land,Sing holly, go whistle and ivy.

Folksongs 2017-18: The Outlandish Knight

by Dulac, Golden Age of Poetry artist

I first knew this song as a long poem.  When I was 10 I spent my Christmas week in the hospital laid up with a bad case of a pneumonia (my temperature reached 106).  I had to receive pencillin via injections around the clock, every four hours, which I loathed but was too sick to fight about it.  One of my Christmas presents was the Golden Treasury of Poetry, edited by Louis Untermyer and illustrated by Joan Walsh Anglund.  (this was my copy, but it's also been republished with this cover.) It was from my aunt, who always gives the best gifts.

I read it from cover to cover, I think, spending that week in the hospital with nothing to do. I loved poetry before that week, I loved it even more afterwards.

The Outlandish Knight was one of my favourites.  The spunky, clever would-be victim turning the tables on the villain and tossing him into the brink gave me much satisfaction.
I was delighted when I grew up and learned that it was also a folk song which I could sing with my own children.  Here is one set of lyrics:

An outlandish knight came from the north lands
He courted a lady fair
He said he would take her to those northern lands
And there he would marry her

Go fetch some of your fathers gold
And some of your mothers fee
And two of the horses from out of the stables
Where there stands thirty and three

She’s mounted on the lilly white steed
And he the dapple gray
They’ve rode til they come unto the sea side
Three hours before it was day

Light off Light off, your lily white steed
Deliver it unto me
Six pretty maidens have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee

Take off take off
Your silken gowns
Deliver them unto me
For I do feel that they are too fine
To rot in the sun salt sea.

If I take off my silken gowns
Then turn your back on me
For it is not fitting that such a cruel world
A naked woman should see

And cut away the brambles so sharp
The brambles from of the brim
For I do feel that they’ll tangle my hair
And scratch my tender skin

So he’s turned his back all on the fair maid
And leant down over the brim
She’s taken him by his slender waist
and tumbled him into the stream

Lie there, lie there, you false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me,
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here
The seventh hath drown-ed thee

You can also find this at Contemplator.com. They share this information about the background of the song:

"This ballad is known throughout Great Britian and Ireland, as well as northern and southern Europe. It appears in several collections as May Colvin, the earliest of which is Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs (1776).This ballad is Child Ballad #4 (Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight)."

Outlandish probably just refers to the knight living in the border country that was not quite England and not quite Scotland- a place short on law and long on outlaws. 

In some versions of the song he's an elfen knight. 

You can read more about several variations and recordings here.

Please do not let yourself get caught up in questions about which lyrics are 'right,' and why are they different, and how can you sing from one set of lyrics if the lyrics used in the youtube version you are listening to is different?  It doesn't matter.

Really.
Folk songs change over time and region, and even from one singing to the next by the same singer.  Pick a version and go.

 Even if the lyrics you choose are slightly different or even very different from a youtube version, it's not that important. The youtube version is for the tune, not the visuals and not for singing along with- at least not for very long. Only use the youtube version until you can sing through the song yourself (with lyrics). One way to do this is to first play it a couple times, then play and sing along. Next day, play and sing along. Next day, turn the sound down a bit, play and sing along, and every day turn the sound down a bit more until you don't need it anymore. Because you know the point here is to sing the songs, right?  We are not being spectators at an entertainment. We are participating, fully participating, in our own education and development, nourishing our souls, and singing songs ourselves.  Later you will find yourselves singing as you wash the dishes or weed a garden, or on a car trip, or as a joke when giving the children a bath ('take off, take off, thy filthy clothes....').  You will hear your children making up their own lyrics, or re-enacting the sing with their toys, or referring back to the lyrics in a narration (this character reminds me of the villain in Outlandish Knight, because he...).

There is a playlist for this term's folksongs here.

Please join us and sing!

Folk Songs, term one, 2015/2016 School Year

Around fifteen years ago, AO added folk songs to our curriculum.  At the time, we were about the only CM homeschool curriculum that did.  Of course, that's largely because back then we were about the only CM homeschool curriculum out there.

Some people were and are skeptical about it, but usually, when they give it a try, they find their children really enjoy it, and often the parents do, too.  Folk songs speak to children in a unique way, and they give children the opportunity to participate in this traditional art form by singing the songs themselves.

 Four things you should know about folk music:
1.  Folk music is fun to sing.

2.  There is no one right version. Folk music is created by something called the Folk Process- that is, somebody, somewhere, created a song, perhaps set to music an actual story he knew or just made one up to tell, much the same way somebody started telling the story of The Three Bears, and these things get passed down, and things change over time, and in different locations. You'll find variations all over the place. That's okay.

3.  Some folk music is earthy and bawdy.  Some is macabre and sad.  You don't have to sing those lyrics. (However, I personally think the macabre and sad ones are some of the most enjoyable to sing).

4. Folk music is fun to sing, so sing it, don't just listen to it.

Our folksong lineup for term one of the 2015/16 school year is:

The Bold Grenadier (English, originally, but pretty much every colonial country has a version they claim to own)
On the Road to Gundagai (Australian, distinctly)
Home on the Range (American)

Jeanne has a playlist for you here.  It's for the full year.

I have one for you here- it's currently just for this first term, but I will probably add more later.  I like multiple versions of the same song when I'm learning it and planning to sing it for school, and my playlist reflects that.

If you search Youtube, you will probably find playlists from other AO families as well.

Some of the songs on those playlists do have lyrics, but we also like to provide lyrics to our members when we can.  Here's what we've come up with.

 Here's one version of the lyrics to the Bold Grenadier (also known as One Morning in May or The Brave Volunteer) :

As I was a-walking one morning in May 

I spied a young couple a-making of hay. 

Oh, one was a fair maid, and her beauty shone clear, 

And the other was a soldier, a bold grenadier.

  "Good morning, Good morning, Good morning," said he.

 "Oh, where are you a-going, my pretty lady?" 

"I am going for a walk, by the clear crystal stream, 

To see cool waters glide and hear nightingales sing.:

  They had not been there but an hour or two, 

When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew 

And the tune that he played made the valleys to ring. 

"Hark! Hark!" cried the lady, "hear the nigntingales sing." 

 Kind soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me? 

Oh no, my sweet lady that never can be,

 I've a good wife at home, in my own country, 

Two wives and the army's too many for me.

  As I was a walking one morning in May, 

I spied a young couple a-making of hay. 

Oh, one was a fair maid and her beauty shone clear;

 And the other was a soldier a bold grenadier. 

 Other versions begin 'one morning, one morning, one morning in May...' I've read that this is typical of the American versions, and the 'a-walking on morning in May' is more typical of those sung in the British Isles.

 Some refer to the brave volunteer rather than the bold grenadier. Both are soldiers, According to Wikipedia, the grenadiers were first established in the 17th century. Chosen from the largest and strongest soldiers, their primary function was throwing grenades. Over time the grenadiers retained their elite status, but were no longer strictly associated with grenade throwing.

 The second folksong for term 1 of this school year is the Australian On the Road to Gungadai- the lyrics are here.

  The third folk song for this first term of the 2015/16 school year is Home on the Range. I think it's kind of interesting that this song and Gundagai express similar sentiments- a nostalgic longing and love for home. There are a lot of lyrics to this one, as with most folk songs. Here are just a few:

 A HOME ON THE RANGE

 OH give me a home where the buffalo roam,
 Where the deer and the antelope play,
 Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
 And the skies are not cloudy all day

Home,  home on the range!
Where the deer and the antelope play.
 Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
 And the skies are not cloudy all day

 Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free,
The breezes so balmy and light
 That I would not exchange my home on the range
 For all of the cities so bright

(Chorus)

 How often at night, when the heavens are bright
 With the light from the glittering stars ,
 Have I stood here amazed and asked as I gazed,
 If their glory exceeds that of ours.

   (lyrics selected from those in the 1916 Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads)

Happy singing to you!