The Balled of Little Musgrave

[Burly Brute]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0-gcccksAg

I thought you guys could appreciate how amazing this is...

[Burly Brute]

....I guess not. Lol

[Dale Seago]

I like it!!

[OC Richard]

Yes, Planxty was THE band back in their heyday.

About "Little Musgrave", it's odd that they found the words, with no tune, and had to find a tune to sing those words to, on their own, because that ballad is one of the most common "Child Ballads" with hundreds of different versions from various periods from England, Scotland, Ireland, and America.

If they'd looked around they would have found plenty of versions with words and the traditional tunes which went with them.

Joan Baez, around 1960, recorded a version sounding as if it were straight out of the English Middle Ages called "Matty Groves". (Musgrave is probably a corruption of Matty Groves.) In this version, there's a Lord living in a Castle with a page etc etc.

Then there are Appalachian versions where the Lord has become a farmer, his castle a barn, and Matty Groves, rather than being slain by the Lord's sword, is impaled on the farmer's pitchfork.

But the basic story is the same.

[Dale Seago]

About "Little Musgrave", it's odd that they found the words, with no tune, and had to find a tune to sing those words to, on their own, because that ballad is one of the most common "Child Ballads" with hundreds of different versions from various periods from England, Scotland, Ireland, and America.

Yep, I recognized the story line right off.

Joan Baez, around 1960, recorded a version sounding as if it were straight out of the English Middle Ages called "Matty Groves".

I remember that one too, loved it!

[Burly Brute]

Yes, Planxty was THE band back in their heyday.

About "Little Musgrave", it's odd that they found the words, with no tune, and had to find a tune to sing those words to, on their own, because that ballad is one of the most common "Child Ballads" with hundreds of different versions from various periods from England, Scotland, Ireland, and America.

If they'd looked around they would have found plenty of versions with words and the traditional tunes which went with them.

Joan Baez, around 1960, recorded a version sounding as if it were straight out of the English Middle Ages called "Matty Groves". (Musgrave is probably a corruption of Matty Groves.) In this version, there's a Lord living in a Castle with a page etc etc.

Then there are Appalachian versions where the Lord has become a farmer, his castle a barn, and Matty Groves, rather than being slain by the Lord's sword, is impaled on the farmer's pitchfork.

But the basic story is the same.

Nice! Ya, as I looked through youtube's pages of videos, I came to wonder how it had been recorded by so many artists if they kinda "happened" by the lyrics and all. Still a good tale.

I love this one, I really love their "the frost is all over" and "bean phaidin."

And somehow...I came across this. Quite odd, yet so alluring.

[piperdbh]

Ralph Stanley has a recording of "Mathy Groves" in which there's the line "...it'll never be said in old England/I slaid a naked man..." That's good writing.

[Burly Brute]

Ralph Stanley has a recording of "Mathy Groves" in which there's the line "...it'll never be said in old England/I slaid a naked man..." That's good writing.

Ill have to definitely check this out! I love his music!