After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
As I Roved Out
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To view the meadows and flowers gay,
Who should I spy, but my own true lover
As she sat by yon willow tree.
I took off my hat and I did salute her,
I did salute her most courageously.
As she turned around, the tears fell from her
And the diamond ring I behold I gave to you,
A diamond ring to wear on your right hand.
But the vows you made, love, you went and broke them
And you wed the lassie who has the land
If I wed the lassie who has the land, my love,
It's that I'll rue 'till the day I die.
When misfortune falls, sure the man my shun it.
It was my fault, that I'll not deny.
And at night when I go to my bed of slumber
The thoughts of my love are in my mind.
As I turn around to embrace my darling,
instead of gold, sure 'tis brass I find.
And I wish the queen would bring home her armies
From the West Indies, America and Spain.
And every man to his wedded woman
Oh in hopes that I might be with thee again
The Kate Rusby song "As I Roved Out" tells the story of a young man who comes across his own true love sitting beside a willow tree one fine May morning. He greets her respectfully and chivalrously, but when she turns around to look at him, she starts to cry and tells him that he has deluded her. The young man had promised to stay true to her and had given her a diamond ring, but he did not keep his promise and married another woman who had land.
The song explores themes of betrayal, regret, and lost love. The young man deeply regrets breaking his promises and betraying his love, and wishes he could undo the mistake he made. Even though he is married to another woman, he cannot forget about his true love and longs to be with her again. The final verse of the song expresses the hope that every man will be reunited with his wedded woman, suggesting that even though the young man cannot be with his true love, he still hopes for a happy ending.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal human experience of love and loss. The lyrics are simple yet profound, conveying a deep sense of emotion that resonates with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
As I roved out one fine May morning,
I took a walk on a beautiful May morning
To view the meadows and flowers gay,
To admire the colourful meadows and flowers
Who should I spy, but my own true lover
I spotted my beloved partner
As she sat by yon willow tree.
She was resting under a willow tree
I took off my hat and I did salute her,
I respectfully greeted her and took off my hat
I did salute her most courageously.
I bravely greeted her
As she turned around, the tears fell from her
She burst into tears when she saw me
Saying, False young man, you've deluded me.
She accused me of lying and deceiving her
And the diamond ring I behold I gave to you,
The diamond ring I gave you, I see you wearing
A diamond ring to wear on your right hand.
It was a ring meant for your right hand
But the vows you made, love, you went and broke them
You broke the promises you made when you fell in love with me
And you wed the lassie who has the land
You got married to the woman who owns the property
If I wed the lassie who has the land, my love,
If I marry someone for their wealth, my dear
It's that I'll rue 'till the day I die.
I will regret it until I breathe my last
When misfortune falls, sure the man my shun it.
When bad luck strikes, people may avoid me
It was my fault, that I'll not deny.
I admit it was my mistake
And at night when I go to my bed of slumber
When I sleep at night
The thoughts of my love are in my mind.
I think of my love
As I turn around to embrace my darling,
When I reach out to hug my loved one
instead of gold, sure 'tis brass I find.
I end up with something worthless instead of something valuable
And I wish the queen would bring home her armies
I hope the queen would order her forces to return home
From the West Indies, America and Spain.
From these faraway countries and colonies
And every man to his wedded woman
Every man should be with his wife
Oh in hopes that I might be with thee again
So that I can be with you again
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
azza jay
great great great song , when i die I want this song played at my funereal, its the very essence of traditional folk music , so beautiful
Terri A
I love to hear Kate sing this. It sounds very similar to 'The Streets of Derry' sung by Cara Dillon (another wonderful folk singer)
VenusInPisces
I have heard the Planxty version most of my life, and I love this version, its beautiful!!
Susan Owen
How stunning and beautiful , soft mellow, utterly lovely, I read the comment about Kate singing this with Dervish, if you have listened to this you must listen to that version, its truly wonderful.
Karen Reid
Absolutely beautiful song. Sung so well by Kate Rusby. She is a master!
naciotogi
I've given you five stars because you really deserved it! - Choice of song ***** and singing ****** and musical accompaniment *******. I'd have given 7 if I had the choice. Keep up the good work!!!!!!
Seán Earnest
Love that baritone guitar!
Freddie Lee
meloncolly breath and soulful tune. Share your wisdom through song and keep folk alive in your sweet muse. Our Kate, our Kate of England. x
MetryRoad
Lovely song. Thanks for posting. Best Wishes
Camilla E
Since Kate has loads of views on YouTube, she must be internet famous.