Though born in Seattle, Washington (where she spent the first ten years of her life), she moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1949. As a child Collins studied classical piano with Antonia Brico, making her public debut at age 13 performing Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos. It was the music of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and the traditional songs of the folk revival of the early 1960s, that piqued Collins' interest and awoke in her a love of lyrics. Three years after her debut as a piano prodigy, she was playing guitar. She eventually made her way to Greenwich Village, New York City, where she busked and played in clubs until she signed with Elektra Records, a record label with which she was associated for 35 years. In 1961, Collins released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at the age of 22.
At first she sang traditional folk songs, or songs written by others, in particular the social poets of the time, such as Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Bob Dylan. She recorded her own versions of seminal songs of the period, such as Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Pete Seeger's "Turn, Turn, Turn". Collins was also instrumental in bringing then little known composers to a wider public; for example, she recorded songs by Canadian poet Leonard Cohen, and Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
With her 1967 album Wildflowers, she began to record her own compositions, the first of which was entitled "Since You've Asked". This album also provided Collins with a major hit, and a Grammy award, with her version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1968's Who Knows Where the Time Goes was produced by Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), with whom Collins was romantically involved at the time (she is the "Judy" of the Stills-written CSN classic "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"). It had a mellow country sound, and included Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon" and the title track, a Sandy Denny song which has been covered by several artists.
By the 1970s, Collins had a solid reputation as an art song singer and folksinger. She had also begun to stand out with her own compositions. She was also known for her broad range of material: her songs from this period include the traditional gospel song "Amazing Grace", the Stephen Sondheim Broadway ballad "Send in the Clowns" (both of which were top 20 hits as singles), and her own compositions such as "My Father" and "Born to the Breed".
In 1979 she posed nude on the album "Hard Times For Lovers".
In more recent years, Collins has taken to writing, producing a memoir, "Trust Your Heart" in 1987, and two novels. Though her record sales are not what they once were, she still records and tours. One of her more recent albums is a collection of songs based on her novel Shameless. She performed at US President Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993, singing "Amazing Grace" and "Chelsea Morning". (The Clintons have stated that their daughter Chelsea was named after Collins' recording of the Joni Mitchell song.)
Activism
Like other folk singers of her generation, Collins was drawn to social activism. She is a representative for UNICEF and campaigns on behalf of the abolition of landmines. Following the 1992 death of her son Clark Taylor at age 33 after a long bout with depression and substance abuse, she has also become a strong advocate of suicide prevention. Her 2003 book, Sanity & Grace, chronicles her recovery from her son's suicide and attempts to provide some comfort and guidance to other families dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide. She describes the "Seven T's" as a means for going through this process of recovery: Truth, Therapy, Trust, Try, Treat, Treasure, and Thrive. The Truth is that there should be no guilt in suicide; Therapy helps people express their emotions and seek grief counseling; Trust is the effort to believe that one can make it through the loss and keep a belief in life and in the future; Try means to stay away from drugs and alcohol or any excess--including overeating--as a means to deal with the loss and pain; Treat means to take care of the mind, body, and spirit with exercise and meditation; Treasure means to keep the memory of the moments to be treasured, and for this Collins recommends writing and keeping a journal; and Thrive means to be positive, hopeful, open to love and others, and continuing to know that you can rebuild your life on a basis of hope.
Awards and recognition
Grammy Award, Best Folk Performance or Folk Recording, "Both Sides Now", 1968
Grammy Award, Song of the Year, "Send in the Clowns", 1975
Nominated with Jill Godmillow for an Academy Award for the documentary "Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman" (1975), about her classical piano instructor, conductor Antonia Brico.
Discography
Maid of Constant Sorrow (1961)
The Golden Apples of the Sun (1962)
Judy Collins #3 (1964)
The Judy Collins Concert (1964)
Judy Collins' Fifth Album (1965)
In My Life (1966)
Wildflowers (1967)
Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (1968)
Whales and Nightingales (1970)
Both Sides Now (1971)
Living (1971) (Live)
Colors of the Day (1972) (Greatest Hits)
True Stories, and Other Dreams (1973)
Judith (1975)
Bread and Roses (1976)
So Early in the Spring (1977) (15th anniversary collection)
Hard Times for Lovers (1979)
Running for My Life (1980)
Times of Our Lives (1982)
Home Again (1984)
Trust Your Heart (1987)
The Stars Of Christmas (Selected Especially For Avon) (1988)
Sanity and Grace (1989)
Fires of Eden (1990)
Baby's Bedtime (1990)
Baby's Morningtime (1990)
Judy Sings Dylan... Just Like a Woman (1993)
Come Rejoice! A Judy Collins Christmas (1994)
Shameless (1994)
Voices (1995)
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate (1997)
Forever: An Anthology (1997)
Both Sides Now (1998)
Classic Broadway (1999)
All on a Wintry Night (2000)
Judy Collins Live at Wolf Trap (2000)
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (2004)
The Essential Judy Collins (2004)
Portrait of an American Girl (2006)
Videography
Baby's Bedtime (1992)
Baby's Morningtime (1992)
Junior playing the operator of a home for unwed mothers opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate (1998)
The Best of Judy Collins (1999)
Intimate Portrait: Judy Collins (2000)
Judy Collins Live at Wolf Trap (2003)
Wildflower Festival (2003) (DVD with guest artists Eric Andersen, Arlo Guthrie, and Tom Rush)
Bibliography
Trust Your Heart (1987)
Amazing Grace (1991)
Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength (2003)
Cruel Mother
Judy Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
She fell in love with her father's clerk
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
He courted her for a year and a day
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Till her the young man did betray
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Then she had two pretty babes born
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
She took her penknife, keen and sharp
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
She has stucked it to their hearts
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
As she was walking her father's hall
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
She saw two babes a-playing ball
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
She said, "Oh, babes, it's you can tell"
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
"What kind of death I have to die"
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
"Seven years a fish in the flood"
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
"Seven years a bird in the wood"
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
"Seven years a tongue in the warning bell"
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
"Seven years in the flames of hell"
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
"Oh, welcome, welcome, fish in the flood"
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
"Welcome, welcome, bird in the wood"
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
"Welcome, welcome, tongue in the warning bell"
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
"God, keep me from the flames in hell"
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
The lyrics of Judy Collins's song "Cruel Mother" tell the story of a tragic love affair gone wrong. The narrative is set in the North, where a lady falls in love with her father's clerk. They court for a year and a day, but the young man ultimately betrays her. Devastated by his actions, the lady leans her back against a thorn and subsequently gives birth to two children. Feeling abandoned and full of sorrow, she takes her penknife and stabs her babies' hearts.
As she walks through her father's hall, she sees her two children playing ball. Overwhelmed with guilt and remorse, she asks her children what kind of death she should face. In ethereal responses, the children tell her that she will spend seven years as a fish in the flood, seven years as a bird in the wood, seven years as the tongue in a warning bell, and finally, seven years in the flames of hell.
Despite the cruel consequences destined for her, the lady welcomes each form of punishment, hoping to find redemption and be saved from the everlasting torment of hell. The song explores themes of betrayal, remorse, and the longing for forgiveness, as the lady copes with the consequences of her actions.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a lady, lived in the North
Once upon a time, in the northern lands, there lived a lady
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
A melodic expression signifying the presence of beauty and elegance
She fell in love with her father's clerk
She deeply and passionately fell in love with a man who worked for her father
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Their love blossomed under the sheltering trees of the green forest
He courted her for a year and a day
He pursued her romantically and devotedly for a considerable amount of time
Till her the young man did betray
However, the young man eventually betrayed her trust and loyalty
She leaned her back up against a thorn
She sought solace by leaning against a sharp and painful thorn
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Again, a musical interlude highlighting the juxtaposition of beauty and hardship
Then she had two pretty babes born
Despite her pain, she gave birth to two beautiful children
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Their birthplace remained within the tranquil and natural surroundings of the green forest
She took her penknife, keen and sharp
In a moment of intense despair, she grasped a sharp and precise penknife
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Reiterating the contrasting presence of beauty and sorrow in her life
She has stucked it to their hearts
With a heavy heart, she inflicted harm upon her innocent children, ending their lives
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Their tragic end occurred in the peaceful embrace of the green forest
As she was walking her father's hall
While wandering through the corridors of her father's residence
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Once again, a melodic reminder of the contrasting elements shaping her existence
She saw two babes a-playing ball
She caught sight of two children playing innocently with a ball
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Their joyful play continued within the embrace of the green forest
She said, "Oh, babes, it's you can tell"
Addressing her children, she expressed a desire to hear their perspective
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
A symbolic acknowledgement of the intertwining themes of beauty and hardship
"What kind of death I have to die"
She anxiously seeks to know the nature of the fate that awaits her
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Seeking answers in the tranquility of the green forest
"Seven years a fish in the flood"
She is destined to live as a fish submerged in a deluge for a prolonged period
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
A melodic refrain that weaves together the themes of beauty and struggle
"Seven years a bird in the wood"
After the period as a fish, she will transform into a bird, residing within the depths of the woods
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Throughout her transformation, the green forest remains her constant companion
"Seven years a tongue in the warning bell"
Following her existence as a bird, she will become a tongue that resonates within a cautionary bell
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
The recurring melody once again signifies the coexistence of beauty and hardship
"Seven years in the flames of hell"
Ultimately, she must endure seven years engulfed in the fiery torment of hell
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Even in the midst of her suffering, the ever-present green forest offers its solace
"Oh, welcome, welcome, fish in the flood"
After her trials and tribulations, she welcomes the return of her existence as a fish in the flood
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
Once again, the melodic reminder of beauty and sorrow intertwining
"Welcome, welcome, bird in the wood"
She embraces her new life as a bird dwelling within the depths of the woods
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
The green forest remains her sanctuary, forever providing comfort
"Welcome, welcome, tongue in the warning bell"
She accepts her role as a resonating tongue within a cautionary bell
Oh, the rose and the linsie-o
The harmonious melody emphasizes the continued presence of both beauty and hardship
"God, keep me from the flames in hell"
She prays for divine protection, pleading to be spared from the torment of hell's flames
Down by the greenwood sidie-o
Seeking solace, she remains within the serene embrace of the green forest
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JUDY COLLINS, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reef "The Watcher"
Hauntingly Beautiful!
Ezekiel Smukler
One of the other people who recorded "Cruel Mother" was Shirley Collins who is no relation to Judy Collins.
Reggie Williams
Shirley Collins did several versions. The one she did on 'The Sweet Primroses' sounds like a tearful pub singalong. Just chilling.
Gary Larson
Hi Zeke. I just recently listened to her version for the first time - interesting. She was similar to Jean Ritchie in coming from a traditional folk singing family (in England, in her case). I believe it's true that the versions of "The Cruel Mother" or "The Greenwood Side" from England and Scotland are pretty sketchy (limited verses) with the more complete versions like this one by Judy Collins and the fairly similar one by Joan Baez coming from North America. Though everyone could view with some understanding the conditions and attitudes of the much earlier and different times of the ballad that caused the woman to do what she did, the song probably shouldn't be taken as any fair comment on the related issue that causes such a heated difference of opinion today. I try when I do a video for a song to extract as best I can - surely sometimes better than others - the meaning of that song and enhance the listening to it. So the attitude of the song gets reflected in the video - regardless of my own opinion. And of course the very dramatic outline of the woman's punishment was in keeping with the folk ballad tradition. I hope everyone enjoys Judy Collins' quite nice live version of this song.
jay Roberge
Thank god for Kavanaugh and Trump,,, they may not stop it but at least they wont PROMOTE IT!
YukarixAsukai
Uh why is this being brought up on this video
jay Roberge
Why do you say that? I thought they were pro life? And both strong supporters of the constitution? If they were bigoted in any way I have never seen any actual evidence ,,, outside the lies of the propaganda tube MSM