Armstrong moved with her family to Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, as a young child. She began singing in a group with her brother singing Elvis Presley and Little Richard numbers, and in 1957 joined the Stort Valley Skiffle Group which a few years later changed its name to the Ceilidh Singers as its repertoire moved towards folk music. The group founded the Hoddesdon Folk Club.
In 1963 she began working with Louis Killen and performing solo, then in 1964 she joined The Critics Group under Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger. In 1965 sang at the Edinburgh Festival "Poets In Public", with John Betjeman, Stevie Smith and Ted Hughes. Her first recording, in 1965, was at the invitation of Bert Lloyd who as director of Topic Records was putting together a recording of erotic songs with Anne Briggs, released as The Bird in the Bush.
In the mid-1970s Armstrong pioneered workshops based on traditional styles of singing. But she also was a member of the Feminist Improvising Group (FIG), co-founded in 1977 by vocalist Maggie Nicols, bassoonist Lindsay Cooper, keybordist Cathy Williams, cellist and bassist Georgina Born and trumpeter Corinne Liensol and collaborated within the accomplished FIG after 1978 also with free jazz pianist (and partly percussion playing) Irène Schweizer, saxophonist (and film maker) Sally Potter, trombonist and violist Annemarie Roelofs, flutist and saxophonist Angèle Veltmeijer and saxophonist and guitarist Françoise Dupety. In 2018, she was awarded a Gold Badge Award from the English Folk Dance and Song Society for outstanding contributions to folk music.
She worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement, and she was a trainer in social and youth work. Involved with folk and political songs starting in the 1950s, she has also performed and/or recorded with, amongst others, Blowzabella, the Mike Westbrook Band, Henry Cow, Ken Hyder's Talisker, John Kirkpatrick, Brian Pearson, Leon Rosselson, Dave Van Ronk and Maddy Prior.
In 2018, she was awarded a Gold Badge Award from the English Folk Dance and Song Society for outstanding contributions to folk music.
In 2019, she helped form a new band Green Ribbons with Alasdair Roberts (musician), Jinnwoo and Burd Ellen. In July 2019, the band released their self-titled debut album consisting of purely unaccompanied singing through Matiere Memoir Records.
The Crafty Maid’s Policy
Frankie Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of three merry gentlemen riding along.
They met a fair maid, unto her did say,
“We'll afraid this cold morning we'll do you some harm.”
“Oh no, kind sir,“ said the maid, “You're mistaken
To think this cold morning will do me some harm
There's one thing I crave that lies twixt your legs
“Then since you do crave it, my dear, you shall have it,
If you'll come with me to yonder green tree.
Then since you do crave it, my dear, you shall have it,
I'll make these two gentlemen witness to be.”
So the gentlemen lighted and straightway she mounted,
And looking the gentlemen hard in the face,
Saying, “You knew not me meaning, you wrong understood me.”
And along she went galopping down the long lane.
“Oh gentlemen, lend me one of your horses,
That I may ride after her down the long lane.
If I overtake her, I'll warrant I'll make her
Return unto me my own horse again.”
But soon as this fair maid she saw him a-coming,
She instantly then took a pistol in hand,
Saying, “Doubt not my skill but you I would kill,
I'll have you stand back or you were a dead man.”
“Oh, why do you spend your time here in talking?
Oh, why do you spend your time here in vain?
Come give her a guinea it's what she deserves
And I'll warrant the'll give you your horse back again.”
“Oh no, kind sir, you're vastly mistaken,
If it is his loss, well, it is my gain.
And your were a witness that he give it to me.“
And away she went galloping over the plain.
The Crafty Maid's Policy is a traditional English folk song, popularized in the 1960s by folk singer Frankie Armstrong. The lyrics tell the story of three men who come upon a young woman and threaten to harm her. However, the quick-witted and resourceful girl suggests that she simply take something from them to keep herself warm. When they agree, she cunningly demands the horse of one of the men, which she rides off on, leaving them behind. One of the men gives chase on foot, but she pulls out a pistol, threatening him and gallops away.
The song can be interpreted in different ways, but it is often seen as a subversive critique of male power and patriarchal society. The maid's actions are seen as a triumph over her potential abusers, as she turns the table on them and takes control of the situation. The lyrics also suggest that the men are expendable, as they hesitate to harm the woman once they realize they could lose the object they value more - their horse.
Line by Line Meaning
Come listen awhile and I'll sing you a song
Get ready to hear a story in the form of a song.
Of three merry gentlemen riding along.
Three happy men were traveling together.
They met a fair maid, unto her did say,
They came across a beautiful woman and spoke to her.
“We'll afraid this cold morning we'll do you some harm.”
They were worried that the cold weather might harm her.
“Oh no, kind sir,“ said the maid, “You're mistaken
The woman reassured them that they were wrong to worry.
To think this cold morning will do me some harm
She told them that the cold would not harm her.
There's one thing I crave that lies twixt your legs
She asked for something that was between their legs.
If you give me that, it will keep me warm.”
She promised that it would keep her warm if they gave it to her.
“Then since you do crave it, my dear, you shall have it,
They agreed to give her what she wanted.
If you'll come with me to yonder green tree.
In return, she was asked to come with them to a nearby tree.
I'll make these two gentlemen witness to be.”
The two other men were asked to witness the exchange.
So the gentlemen lighted and straightway she mounted,
The men got off their horses and she got on one of them.
And looking the gentlemen hard in the face,
She stared directly at the other two men.
Saying, “You knew not me meaning, you wrong understood me.”
She accused them of misunderstanding her intentions.
And along she went galopping down the long lane.
She rode away on the horse as fast as she could.
“Oh gentlemen, lend me one of your horses,
One man asked to borrow a horse.
That I may ride after her down the long lane.
He wanted to chase after her on the horse.
If I overtake her, I'll warrant I'll make her
He promised to catch her and make her return the horse.
Return unto me my own horse again.”
He wanted her to return the borrowed horse.
But soon as this fair maid she saw him a-coming,
As soon as she saw him approaching, she reacted.
She instantly then took a pistol in hand,
She pulled out a gun.
Saying, “Doubt not my skill but you I would kill,
She warned him not to doubt her ability to use the gun.
I'll have you stand back or you were a dead man.”
She threatened to kill him if he didn't step back.
“Oh, why do you spend your time here in talking?
The other man tried to reason with her.
Oh, why do you spend your time here in vain?
He asked why she was wasting time on this argument.
Come give her a guinea it's what she deserves
He suggested paying her for the horse rental.
And I'll warrant the'll give you your horse back again.”
He promised that she would return the borrowed horse in exchange for payment.
Oh no, kind sir, you're vastly mistaken,
She denied his suggestion.
If it is his loss, well, it is my gain.
She claimed that it was her right to keep the horse.
And your were a witness that he give it to me.
She used the other men as witnesses to support her claim.
And away she went galloping over the plain.
She rode off into the distance with the horse.
Contributed by William D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.