Crazy Man Michael

Fairport Convention

Within the fire and out upon the sea,
Crazy Man Michael was walking.
He met with a raven with eyes black as coals,
And shortly they were a-talking

“Your future, your future, I would tell to you.
Your future, you often have asked me.
Your true love will die by your own right hand.
And Crazy Man Michael will cursed be.”

Michael he ranted and Michael he raved,
And beat at the four winds with his fists-o.
He laughed and he cried, he shouted and he swore,
For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss-o.

“You speak with an evil, you speak with a hate,
You speak for the devil that haunts me
For is she not the fairest in all the broad land,
Your sorcerer's words are to taunt me.”

He took out his dagger of fire and of steel,
And struck down the raven through the heart-o.
The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin,
And the cold earth did wonder and start-o.

“Oh, where is the raven that I struck down dead,
That here did lie on the ground-o?
I see but my true love with a wound so red,
Where her lover's heart it did pound-o.”

Crazy Man Michael, he wanders and walks,
And talks to the night and the day-o.
But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is clear
And he longs to be far away-o.

Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes,
And asks of the wild wolves their pardon.
For his true love is flown into every flower grown,
And he must be keeper of the garden.

[Richard Thompson/Dave Swarbrick]

(Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)

Fairport Convention are:

Sandy Denny, vocals
Dave Mattacks, drums
Ashley Hutchings, bass guitar
Simon Nicol, guitars
Dave Swarbrick, violin and viola
Richard Thompson, guitars.


Recorded at Sound Techniques Studio,
October 16 - November 2, 1969
Engineer: John Wood,
Sound Techniques Ltd.
Producer: Joe Boyd,
Witchseason Productions Ltd.
Photography by Eric Hayes
Sleeve concept & design by Fairport and Roberta Nicol
with special thanks to the
English Folk Dance & Song Society at
Cecil Sharp House


massive thanks go out to
coramunroe for the you tube video feeds
to be found on this blog

Tam Lin

Fairport Convention

“I forbid you maidens all that
wear gold in your hair
To travel to Carterhaugh, for
young Tam Lin is there

None that go by Carterhaugh
but they leave him a pledge
Either their mantles of green
or else their maidenhead”

Janet tied her kirtle green a
bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carterhaugh
as fast as go can she.

She'd not pulled a double rose,
a rose but only two
When up then came young
Tam Lin, says,“Lady, pull no more”

“And why come you to Carterhaugh
without command from me?”
“I'll come and go,” young Janet said,
“and ask no leave or be”

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit
above her knee
And she's gone to her father
as fast as go can she.

Well, up then spoke her father dear
and he spoke meek and mild,
“Oh, and alas, Janet,” he said,
“I think you go with child”

“Well, if that be so,” Janet said,
“myself shall bear the blame
There's not a knight in all your
hall shall get the baby's name

For if my love were an earthly knight,
as he is an elfin grey
I'd not change my own true love
for any knight you have”

So Janet tied her kirtle green a
bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carterhaugh
as fast as go can she.

“Oh, tell to me, Tam Lin,” she said,
“why came you here to dwell?”
“The Queen of Fairies caught me
when from my horse I fell

And at the end of seven years
she pays a tithe to hell
I so fair and full of flesh
and fear it be myself

But tonight is Halloween
and the fairy folk ride
Those that would let true love
win at Mile's Cross they must hide.

So first let pass the horses black
and then let pass the brown
Quickly run to the white steed
and pull the rider down.

For I'll ride on the white steed,
the nearest to the town
For I was an earthly knight,
they give me that renown.

Oh, they will turn me, in your
arms, into a newt or a snake
But hold me tight and fear not,
I am your baby's father.

And they will turn me, in your
arms, into a lion bold,
But hold me tight and fear not
and you will love your child.

And they will turn me' in your
arms' into a naked knight
But cloak me in your mantle
and keep me out of sight”

In the middle of the night
she heard the bridle ring
She heeded what he did say
and young Tam Lin did win.

Then up spoke the Queen of Faerie,
and an angry queen was she,
Woe betide her ill-far'd face,
an ill death may she die

“Oh, had I known, Tam Lin,” she said,
“what this night I did see
I'd have looked him in the eyes
and turned him to a tree”

[trad. arr. Dave Swarbrick]

(Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)

Tam Lin is probably the best-known of the traditional fairy ballads. In many ways, it is the canonical ballad. Featuring a maid named Janet, the Queen of Elfland, and a handsome hero imprisoned under the Hill; recorded by both Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span; turned into a picture book by Jane Yolen and a coming-of-age novel in the Fairy Tales series by Pamela Dean, it is also the inspiration for a raft of other beloved fantasy novels, including Diana Wynne Jones's Fire and Hemlock, Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Perilous Gard, Dahlov Ipcar's The Queen of Spells, and Patricia McKillip's Winter Rose (which blends the story of Tam Lin with elements of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market).

Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish Paddy/Fox-Hunter's Jig/Toss the Feathers

Fairport Convention

Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish Paddy/
Fox-Hunter's Jig/Toss the Feathers

(trad. arr. Dave Swarbrick)

The Deserter

Fairport Convention

As I was a-walking
along Radcliffe Highway
A recruiting party came
a-beating my way.
They enlisted me and treated me
'til I did not know
And to the Queen's barracks
they forced me to go.

When first I deserted, I
thought myself free
Until my cruel comrade
informed against me.
I was quickly followed after
and brought back with speed,
I was handcuffed and guarded,
heavy irons put on me.

Court martial, court martial,
they held upon me
And the sentence passed
upon me: three-hundred-and-three.
May the Lord have mercy
on them for their sad cruelty,
For now the Queen's duty
lies heavy on me.

When next I deserted, I
thought myself free
Until my cruel sweetheart
informed against me.
I was quickly followed after
and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded,
heavy irons put on me.

Court martial, court martial
then quickly was got
And the sentence passed upon
me: that I was to be shot.
May the Lord have mercy on
them for their sad cruelty,
For now the Queen's duty
lies heavy on me.

Then up rode Prince Albert in
his carriage-and-six,
Saying, “Where is that young
man whose coffin it is fixed?
Set him free from his irons
and let him go free,
For he'll make a good soldier
for his Queen and country.”

[trad. arr. Fairport Convention]

Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)

Farewell, Farewell

Fairport Convention

Farewell, farewell to you who’d hear
You lonely travellers all.
The cold north winds will blow again
The winding road does call.

And you will never return to see your
Bruised and beaten sons?
Oh, I would, I would if welcome I were
For they loathe me ev’ryone.

And will you never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be?
And can you never swear a year
To anyone but me?

No I will never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be,
But I’ll swear a year to one who lies
Asleep alongside of me.

Farewell, farewell to you who’d hear
You lonely travellers all.
The cold north winds will blow again
The winding road does call.

[Richard Thompson/trad. arr.]

(Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)

Matty Groves

Fairport Convention

A holiday, a holiday, and
the first one of the year.
Lord Darnell's wife came
into church, the gospel for to hear

And when the meeting it was
done, she cast her eyes about,
And there she saw little Matty Groves,
walking in the crowd.

“Come home with me, little Matty Groves,
come home with me tonight,
Come home with me, little Matty Groves,
and sleep with me till light.”

“Oh, I can't come home, I won't come
home and sleep with you tonight,
By the rings on your fingers I can
tell you are Lord Darnell's wife.”

“What if I am Lord Darnell's wife?
Lord Darnell's not at home.
For he is out in the far cornfields
Bringing the yearlings home."

Now a servant who was standing by
and hearing what was said,
He swore Lord Darnell he would know
before the sun had set.

And in his hurry to carry the news
he bent his breast and he ran,
and when he came to the broad mill stream
He took of his shoes and he swam.

Little Matty Groves, he lay down
and took a little sleep,
When he awoke, Lord Darnell
was standing at his feet.

Saying “How do you like my
feather bed? And how do
you like my sheets?
How do you like my lady
who lies in your arms asleep?”

“Oh, well I like your feather bed,
and well I like your sheets.
But better I like your lady gay
who lies in my arms asleep.”


"Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried
"Get up as quick as you can,
it'll never be said in fair England
that I slew a naked man.”

“Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up,
I can't get up for my life.
For you have two long beaten swords
and I not a pocket-knife.”

“Well it's true I have two beaten swords,
and they cost me deep in the purse.
But you will have the better of them
and I will have the worse."

"And you will strike the very first blow,
and strike it like a man,
I will strike the very next blow
and kill you if I can.

So Matty struck the very first blow
and he hurt Lord Darnell sore,
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow
and Matty struck no more.

And then Lord Darnell he took his wife
and he sat her on his knee,
Saying, “Who do you like the best of
us, Matty Groves or me?”

And then up spoke his own dear wife,
never heard to speak so free.
"I'd rather kiss from dead Matty's lips,
than you with your finery.

Lord Darnell he jumped up and
loudly he did bawl,
He struck his wife right through
the heart and pinned her against the wall.

“A grave, a grave!” Lord Darnell cried,
“to put these lovers in.
But bury my lady at the top
for she was of noble kin."

[trad. arr. Fairport Convention]

(Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)

Reynardine

Fairport Convention

One evening as I rambled
among the leaves so green,
I overheard a young woman
converse with Reynardine.

Her hair was black, her eyes
were blue, her lips as red as wine,
And he smiled to gaze upon her,
did that sly, bold Reynardine.

She said, “Kind sir, be civil,
my company forsake,
For in my own opinion
I fear you are some rake.”

“Oh no,” he said, “no rake am I,
brought up in Venus' train,
But I'm seeking for concealment
all along the lonesome plain.”

“Your beauty so enticed me,
I could not pass it by
So it's with my gun I'll guard you
all on the mountain side.”

“And if by chance you should look
for me, perhaps you'll not me find,
For I'll be in my castle,
inquire for Reynardine.”

Sun and dark she followed him,
his teeth did brightly shine,
And he led her up a-the mountains,
did that sly, bold Reynardine

[trad. arr. Fairport Convention]

(Copyright © 1969 Warlock Music)