Born… Read Full Bio ↴Eliza Carthy (b. 1975) is an English folk singer and violinist.
Born on 23rd August 1975, she is the daughter of legendary English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. She formed The Waterdaughters with her mother, aunt (Lal Waterson), and cousin Maria Knight in 1989. She has subsequently worked with Nancy Kerr, and also with her parents as Waterson:Carthy, in addition to her own solo work.
She has twice been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for UK album of the year: in 1998 for Red Rice, and again in 2003 for Anglicana. In 2003 Carthy swept the boards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning Folk Singer of the Year, Best Album (for Anglicana), and Best Traditional Track (for "Worcester City").
In 2004 she was part of Oysterband's Big Session, a collaboration with numerous folk artists. They produced an album The Big Session Volume One, and the group as a whole were awarded Best Group at the Folk Awards in 2005.
Blow The Winds / The Game Of Draughts
Eliza Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He kept sheep on the hill
He laid his pipe and his crook aside
And there he slept his fill
Chorus (after each verse):
And blow the winds high-o, high-o
Sing blow the winds high-o
Well he looked east and he looked west
He took another look
And there he saw a lady gay
Was dipping in a brook
She said: "Sir, don't touch my mantle
Come let my clothes alone
I will give you as much bright money
As you can carry home"
"I will not touch your mantle
I'll let your clothes alone
But I'll take you out of the water clear
My dear to be my own"
He mounted her on a milk white steed
Himself upon another
And there they rode along the road
Like sister and like brother
And as they rode along the road
He spied some cocks of hay
"Oh look!" he says, "there's a lovely place
For men and maids to play"
And when they came to her father's house
They rang long at the ring
And who is there but her brother
To let the young girl in
When the gates were opened
This young girl she jumped in
"Oh, look!" she says, "you're a fool without
And I'm a maid within!"
"There is a horse in my father's stable
He stands behind the thorn
He shakes himself above the trough
But dares not pry the corn"
"There is cock in my father's yard
A double comb he wears
He shakes his wings and he crows full loud
But a capon's crest he bears"
"And there is a flower, in my father's garden
It's called the marigold
The fool that will not, when he can
He shall not when he would"
Says the shepherd's son as he doffed his shoes
"My feet they shall run bare
And if I ever meet another girl
I'll have that girl beware"
The song “Blow The Winds / The Game of Draughts” by Eliza Carthy tells a story of a shepherd's son who falls in love with a lady he sees while keeping his sheep on a hill. He sees her dipping in a brook, and even though she warns him not to touch her mantle, he rides away with her on his horse. As they ride around, they come across haycocks and a garden, and finally arrive at her father's house. The girl’s brother receives them there, and the lady shows the shepherd’s son different things in the yard, the stable, and the garden. The song ends with the shepherd’s son taking off his shoes, saying that if he ever meets another girl, she should beware.
The lyrics of the song showcase the difference in social classes of the people in the story. The lady comes from a wealthy background, as evidenced by her home, garden, horse, and other things in her possession. While the shepherd's son comes from a humble background, working hard on the hilltop, tending his sheep. Despite their differences, the two fall in love and ride off together, showing that love knows no boundaries. The song is sung in a traditional folk style and tells the story of a couple's adventure in a simplistic, yet beautiful way.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a shepherd's son
Once upon a time, there was a boy whose father was a shepherd
He kept sheep on the hill
The boy's occupation was to tend to the flock of sheep located on the hill
He laid his pipe and his crook aside
He put down his smoking pipe and the staff used for herding the animals
And there he slept his fill
He went to sleep until he was fully rested
Chorus (after each verse):
And blow the winds high-o, high-o
Sing blow the winds high-o
Musical interlude repeated after each verse
Well he looked east and he looked west
He looked towards the East and towards the West
He took another look
He looked again
And there he saw a lady gay
Then he saw a cheerful lady
Was dipping in a brook
Taking a bath in the stream
She said: "Sir, don't touch my mantle
The lady warned him not to touch her cloak
Come let my clothes alone
I will give you as much bright money
As you can carry home"
She offered him money in exchange for not taking her clothes
"I will not touch your mantle
I'll let your clothes alone
But I'll take you out of the water clear
My dear to be my own"
He promised not to touch her clothes but tried to woo her by offering to take her out of the water and make her his own
He mounted her on a milk white steed
Himself upon another
He gave her a white horse to ride and mounted another one himself. They set off on their journey as a pair
And there they rode along the road
Like sister and like brother
They rode together on the road looking like they were related
And as they rode along the road
He spied some cocks of hay
"Oh look!" he says, "there's a lovely place
For men and maids to play"
As they were traveling, he saw a bale of hay and suggested that they go there to play
And when they came to her father's house
They arrived at her father's residence
They rang long at the ring
They rang the doorbell for a long time
And who is there but her brother
To let the young girl in
Her brother came to answer the door and let her in
When the gates were opened
This young girl she jumped in
Once the gates opened, the young girl jumped inside
"Oh, look!" she says, "you're a fool without
And I'm a maid within!"
She comments on the fact that he is outside and she is inside, making him a fool
"There is a horse in my father's stable
He stands behind the thorn
He shakes himself above the trough
But dares not pry the corn"
She tells him there is a horse that often appears thirsty but will not eat until fed
"There is cock in my father's yard
A double comb he wears
He shakes his wings and he crows full loud
But a capon's crest he bears"
There is a rooster in her father's yard that has two crests but is not fully developed
"And there is a flower, in my father's garden
It's called the marigold
The fool that will not, when he can
He shall not when he would"
The marigold flower in her father's garden signifies that who does not act when they have the opportunity will not be able to act when they want to
Says the shepherd's son as he doffed his shoes
"My feet they shall run bare
And if I ever meet another girl
I'll have that girl beware"
The shepherd's son responded by taking off his shoes and vowing to be cautious around other girls he may meet in the future
Contributed by Aiden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JUXEE
beautiful northumbrian tune.