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.
Sheath And Knife
Eliza Carthy Lyrics
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Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
Lady Anne's with child among the ladies all
And she dare not go down to the broom no more
One king's daughter said to another
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
We'll go ride like sister and brother
We'll go ride in yonder valley
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
Where the green green trees are budding so rarely
And we'll never go down to the broom no more
With hawk and hound we'll hunt so rarely
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
And we'll come back all in the morning early
And we'll never go down to the broom no more
So they rode out like sister and brother
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
And they hunted and hawked in the valley together
And they'll never go down to the broom no more
'Lady hold my horse and my hawk
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
For I cannot ride and I dare not walk'
And we'll never go down to the broom no more
'But set me down by the root o' this tree
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
For there have I dreamt that my last bed shall be'
And we'll never go down to the broom no more
The one king's daughter did lift down the other
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
She was light in her arms like any feather
And she'll never go down to the broom no more
Bonnie Lady Anne sat down by the tree
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
And there a grave was made where none should be
And she'll never go down to the broom no more
The hawk had no lure the horse had no master
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
And the faithless hounds through the woods they ran faster
And they'll never go down to the broom no more
Oh when that you hear my loud loud cry
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
Then bend your bow and let your arrow fly
Cause we'll never go down to the broom no more
Eliza Carthy’s song “Sheath and Knife” tells the story of Lady Anne, a noblewoman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock. The other ladies whisper about her condition, and Lady Anne feels ashamed and afraid to go down to the broom, a symbol of promiscuity. One day, Lady Anne and another king’s daughter decide to go on a hunt together. While they are out riding, Lady Anne realizes she cannot ride anymore and asks the other girl to help her down. She then asks to be left by the root of a tree, where she has dreamt her last bed shall be. The other girl lifts her down, and Lady Anne sits down by the tree. She dies and is buried there.
The song touches on themes such as shame, betrayal, and death. Lady Anne is shamed for her pregnancy and feels betrayed by the whispers of the other ladies. Her death is foreshadowed throughout the song, making it a tragic tale.
Line by Line Meaning
It's whispered in parlour it's whispered in hall
The rumor is spreading everywhere.
Oh the broom blooms bonny the broom blooms fair
The beauty of the broom flowers is being mentioned repeatedly.
Lady Anne's with child among the ladies all
Lady Anne is pregnant and everyone knows about it.
And she dare not go down to the broom no more
Lady Anne is afraid to visit the broom because of her pregnancy.
One king's daughter said to another
Two princesses were having a conversation.
We'll go ride like sister and brother
They plan to ride together like siblings.
We'll go ride in yonder valley
They will explore the valley on horseback.
Where the green green trees are budding so rarely
The valley has beautiful and uncommon trees.
With hawk and hound we'll hunt so rarely
They will hunt with their hawk and hound, but not often.
And we'll come back all in the morning early
They plan to return in the early morning.
So they rode out like sister and brother
They left to ride together like siblings.
And they hunted and hawked in the valley together
They had a fun hunting and hawking adventure together.
'Lady hold my horse and my hawk
One of the princesses asked for help with her horse and hawk.
For I cannot ride and I dare not walk'
She cannot ride or walk due to an unknown reason.
'But set me down by the root o' this tree
She requested to be placed near the tree's root.
For there have I dreamt that my last bed shall be'
She had a premonition that she will die by that tree.
The one king's daughter did lift down the other
One princess helped the other get down from the horse.
She was light in her arms like any feather
The other princess was very light when carried like a feather.
Bonnie Lady Anne sat down by the tree
Lady Anne sat down by the tree mentioned earlier.
And there a grave was made where none should be
Lady Anne unexpectedly passed away and was buried by the tree.
The hawk had no lure the horse had no master
The hawk had nothing to lure it while the horse had no owner.
And the faithless hounds through the woods they ran faster
The unfaithful hounds ran through the woods faster than expected.
Oh when that you hear my loud loud cry
Lady Anne's ghost warns to shoot an arrow when you hear her scream.
Then bend your bow and let your arrow fly
Shoot an arrow when you hear Lady Anne's loud cry.
Cause we'll never go down to the broom no more
Lady Anne and the other princess will never visit the broom anymore.
Contributed by Audrey E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.