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.
The Rose and the Lily
Eliza Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the rose and the lily, oh!
And these three men came after one lady
As the rose was so sweetly grown
The first man came, he was all in white
He asked her if she'd be his delight
The next man came and he was all in green
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
The first man came, he was all in white
Asked her if she'd be his delight
The last man came and he was dressed in red
Asked her nicely if she would wed
"Yes, I have asked your father dear,"
"And also her that did you bear,"
"And I have asked your sister, Anne,"
"Though I've never met your brother, John."
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
On the road as they rode alone
There they met her brother, John
Oh, she stooped low to give him kisses sweet
He to her heart did a dagger meet
"I wish I were on yonder stile,"
"There I'd sit and I'd bleed a while,"
"I wish I were up on yonder hill,"
"For there I'd sit and I'd make my will."
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
What would you give to your father dear?
"This gallant horse that does me bear."
What would you give to your mother dear?
"This wedding dress that I do wear."
What would you give your mother dear?
"This wedding dress that I do wear,"
"Though she must wash it very, very clean,"
"For my heart's blood sticks in every seam."
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
What would you give to your sister, Anne?
"My good gold ring and my feathered fan."
What would you give to your brother, John?
"A tall, tall tree to hang him on."
What would you give to your brother, John?
"A rope and gallows to hang him on."
What would you give to your brother's wife?
"A widow's wheat and a peaceful life."
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
Oh, the rose and the lily!
Oh, the rose and the lily!
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily is so sweetly sown
The Rose and the Lily is a traditional folk song, which Eliza Carthy recorded for her 1998 album, Red Rice. The song is about a woman who is pursued by three men, one in white, one in green, and one in red. The first two men ask her to be their delight and queen, respectively, but she accepts the proposal of the man in red, who has asked for her hand in marriage after seeking the approval of her family. As they ride off together, they meet her brother John, who stabs her in the heart, causing her to wish for death. She then divides her possessions among her family members, including a gallows for her brother. The song ends with a repeated refrain, "Oh, the rose and the lily! As the rose is so sweetly grown, so the lily is so sweetly sown."
The song is often interpreted as a cautionary tale about the consequences of making hasty decisions, particularly in matters of the heart. The three suitors represent different types of men, and the woman's choice ultimately leads to tragedy. The violent ending of the song suggests that the woman's family was willing to go to extreme lengths to avenge her death and highlights the importance of familial loyalty.
Line by Line Meaning
There were three men come from over the way
Three men from a neighboring place came by
And these three men came after one lady
These men were pursuing a lady
As the rose was so sweetly grown
Like the sweetly grown rose
The first man came, he was all in white
The first man came dressed in white
He asked her if she'd be his delight
He proposed to her asking if she would be his delight
The next man came and he was all in green
The second man came dressed in green
Asked her if she would be his queen
He proposed to her asking if she would be his queen
The last man came and he was dressed in red
The third man came dressed in red
Asked her nicely if she would wed
He proposed to her kindly asking if she would marry him
"Yes, I have asked your father dear,"
He said that he had asked her father
"And also her that did you bear,"
He said that he had asked her mother
"And I have asked your sister, Anne,"
He said that he had asked her sister
"Though I've never met your brother, John."
He mentioned that he had not met her brother John
On the road as they rode alone
As they rode on the road alone
There they met her brother, John
They met her brother John
Oh, she stooped low to give him kisses sweet
She bent down to give John sweet kisses
He to her heart did a dagger meet
John stabbed her in the heart
"I wish I were on yonder stile,"
She expressed her wish to be on a nearby stile
"There I'd sit and I'd bleed a while,"
She said she would sit and bleed for a while
"I wish I were up on yonder hill,"
She expressed her wish to be up on a nearby hill
"For there I'd sit and I'd make my will."
She said she would sit on the hill and make her will
What would you give to your father dear?
She was asked what she would give to her father
"This gallant horse that does me bear."
She said she would give her father her gallant horse
What would you give to your mother dear?
She was asked what she would give to her mother
"This wedding dress that I do wear."
She said she would give her mother her wedding dress
"Though she must wash it very, very clean,"
She mentioned that her mother would have to wash it very clean
"For my heart's blood sticks in every seam."
She explained that her blood had gotten on the dress
What would you give to your sister, Anne?
She was asked what she would give to her sister Anne
"My good gold ring and my feathered fan."
She said she would give her sister her gold ring and feathered fan
What would you give to your brother, John?
She was asked what she would give to her brother John
"A tall, tall tree to hang him on."
She said she would give her brother a tall tree to hang him on
What would you give to your brother's wife?
She was asked what she would give to her brother's wife
"A widow's wheat and a peaceful life."
She said she would give John's wife widow's wheat and a peaceful life
Contributed by Christian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Billy Bones
There were three men come from over the way,
O the rose and the lily-o,
And these three men came after one lady
As the rose was so sweetly grown.
The first man came, he was all in white,
He asked her if she'd be his delight.
The next man came and he was all in green,
Asked her if she would be his queen.
Chorus (repeated after each verse):
O the rose and the lily
O the rose and the lily
As the rose is so sweetly grown
So the lily, so sweetly sown
The first man came, he was all in white
Asked her if she'd be his delight.
The last man came and he was dressed in red
Asked her nicely if she would wed.
“As I have asked your father dear
And also her that did you bear.
And I have asked your sister Anne
Though I never met your brother John.”
On the road as they rode alone
There they met her brother John;
Oh she stood low to give him kisses sweet,
Into her heart did a dagger meet.
“I wish I were on yonder stile,
There I'd sit and I'd bleed awhile.
I wish I were upon yonder hill
For there I'd sit and I'd make my will.”
“What would you give to your father dear?”
“This gallant horse that does me bear.”
“What would you give to your mother dear?”
“This wedding dress that I do wear.”
“What would you give your mother dear?”
“This wedding dress that I do wear;
Though she must wash it very, very clean
For my heart's blood sticks in every seam.”
“What would you give to your sister Anne?”
“My good gold ring and my feathered fan.”
“What would you give to your brother John?”
“A tall, tall tree to hang him on.”
“What would you give to your brother John?”
“A rope and gallows to hang him on.”
“What would you give to your brother's wife?”
“A widow's weeds and a peaceful life.”
kololikate
Someone sang this yesterday evening and thought it was a Child Ballad. Do you know the origins of the song?