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Dialogue again my boy as I walked the road again. If the weather be a bear I'll call my hair and I log again. Washington State University presents they wandering ballad singer Mary Jo with songs that vividly describe the history and folklore of a pioneering country and. Who ever since literate people began to notice ballads and folk songs there's been a raging battle among scholars who are seldom folk singers over just what the origins of this form of poetry may have been. Final answer may never be found really and of course no answer will ever satisfy all the diligence. Just as one critic decides that artistic composition under so-called communal conditions is impossible. Another one eagerly publishes some account of children or primitives in a group making up ghost stories. But much more interesting than this controversy over ballot authorship is the great amount of primitive lore and belief that comes to us through the Old English and Scots ballads
regardless of whether they were composed by one man or ten. Almost any old ballad for instance like this one caller Thomas and fair Eleanor. Notice how the color green gives a hint of things to come just like the black shaded cowboy on TV in pre-Christian times men were dressed in green or in corn sheaves and sacrificed to a fertility spirit. Green has become in folklore the color of death in the supernatural and in the ballads usually hints that the wearer is done for. Watch also for the old custom still followed in parts of Great Britain. That of the bride wearing a knife in her wedding. Note the reference at the end to the ancient belief in the plant so a reference that appears in countless ballads of all countries. All Father the Father Riddle this riddle. Will it all as one must marry or bring brought home a liberal house and land.
Marilyn Hershey sold for her own blessed good son the brown girl. So interest is clothing. Olive green and every road a. Road to Eleanor's. And he lightly. World. No one hears her into his and let him in. It was Lord Thomas what new century what news do you bring to me. Well I do ask you where it is very sad that. Much it arrest her south of bend so so find her clothing all in green and every town that she rode through the news from her
Jeroen up to Lord Thomas again and lightly where no one is lowered to run. Well is this your bride. Is this your Brian J or the brown man you might have married as Mary young as ever. Black brown girl he took her a little and it was both long and a charm between the long ribs and orange or lower Thomas then he then spoke. What makes your love so pale. New Years new. Where as red rosy cheeks as ever shone on. Or are you blind that you can't see your bride as
murder. I can be my own heart's blood. Franklin. Many brown girl by the hand and led her doll on and when news saw her he chopped her head off. Many go on does so again snowball against his breast and father old father hears three true lovers gods and their snows are. Heard in the old church yard and Lord Thomas grave was not heard and from his mouth there grew a red rose and from her they grew and there grew up there was a church well till they couldn't grow higher
and there they were true lovers and not in the room. One old ballad that isn't sung much in this country is one called the three ravens. I learned this version from Depok versatile folk singer from India. The crux of the ballad is reached when a dog comes out of the woods to mourn for a fallen Knight. Her death closely following that of the night seems to indicate a mysterious connection between the two. Possibly a parallel to the old belief in the external animal soul. In some versions of this ballad and moralising last verse is added which says in effect God send every man such a lover as this. But the point seems to be deeper that we can't quite put a finger on it. Regardless of interpretation though the three ravens remains one of the finest poems in the English language primitive and raw pagan. The final scene of death by the desolate earth and Lake is an excel him. There were three ravens sat on a tree.
Been there were three or even sat on a jury. There were three ravens on the tree. There were as black as they could be with. One of them said to his mate. Oh and one of them said to his mate with one of them said to His me where shall we breakfast with that dog. In yonder field there is an I
O. Here in yonder knew there lays an eye in yonder field underneath you saw where that down. Is hunting birds up above him fly. His hunting birds above him for without. His hond birds of him fly no enemy here with dawn on.
His hunting dog beside him steadily on. His hunting dogs beside him with a dog is hunting dogs beside him. So faithful vigil key with. The Lodo. Down there as of followed Oh it comes off Al Odo as great with the young as he
might go without doubt. Which is wounds that were. Used to his wounds that were so poor that I kissed his homes that were so red and lifted up is bloody hell with that down you know. She lived near him up on up on her back and then him up on her back with a bump on her back carried him down to the earth and
without down. She buried him before the pariah and with that she buried him before the uprise was dead hers by and with Dom. Though there may be no connection between the ballad of the devil and the farmer's wife and primitive belief it parallels many old tales from all from Abraham Soraya in the Pharaoh to
Deming our present Fany and Hades in the story of the round trip to the underworld there. There was an old farmer lived on a hill having moved away his living there still a lot of blood. Well that I won't come up to him one day said one of your family I'm going to go away and into the light I. Hope Please don't take my own business on there's work on the farm it's got to be done by a new LED light I bided light noon no long ones that wife of yours you can have her and welcome I'm sure it is light and light I. Saw the devil in ways that are up on his back and it looked like a rooster scared off the rag. New light and light I like to go down to the gates of hell said the bar boys will scorcher Well mind into light and light I fire. Two little devils and ball and chain she lifted her foot and kicked out their brains
minded live a life I had in life news. Nine little devils went over the wall said to go back daddy before she kills us all of mine and live a life I did live. Over the next one and I spied through a crack and saw the old devil come dragging her back my lud in line I've bided lied to me says Here's your wife both sounding well about it kept her any longer it really been hell minded to live a lie and I live by this song going to show what a woman can do. She can about her husband and the devil owed to it and lied and lied and lied to just how the women are worse than the men they went down to hell and got kicked out again by I did live in a line by line. While some are old ballads and folk songs next time we meet the road again. Boy is all out along the road if the weather be
fair I love my hair and I'll. Listen again next week when Barry token day wandering ballad singer returns with more songs and ballads The preceding was transcribed and was produced by the Radio TV services of Washington State University. This is ne ne E.B. Radio Network and.
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Series
The wandering ballad singer
Episode
English ballads I
Producing Organization
Washington State University
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-154ds18j
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/500-154ds18j).
Description
Episode Description
In this program, Barre Toelken explores the history of English ballads.
Series Description
Folk music series hosted by musician Barre Toelken, who collects folk songs and has worked as a dance band musician, a Forest Service employee, and prospector.
Broadcast Date
1960-05-29
Topics
Music
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:14:37
Credits
Host: Toelken, Barre, 1935-
Producing Organization: Washington State University
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 60-33-1 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:14:17
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Citations
Chicago: “The wandering ballad singer; English ballads I,” 1960-05-29, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-154ds18j.
MLA: “The wandering ballad singer; English ballads I.” 1960-05-29. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-154ds18j>.
APA: The wandering ballad singer; English ballads I. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-154ds18j