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
Bold Riley
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
And the northern wind, it blows so strong,
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o,
Well come on Mary, don't look glum,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Come White-stocking Day you'll be drinkin' rum
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
We're outward bound for the Bengal Bay,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Get bending, me lads, its a hell-of-a-way,
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o,
Bold Riley-o has gone away.
Kate Rusby's song "Bold Riley" is a sorrowful tune with a melody that lingers. The song revolves around an individual named Bold Riley, who has gone far away, leaving his lover behind. The lyrics convey the singer's feelings of despair and heartbreak as they bid farewell to their beloved, knowing that they may never see them again. The words "Oh the rain it rains all day long, Bold Riley-o" imply a sense of melancholy and longing, as the lonely speaker contemplates the bleak weather and the absence of their love.
The lyrics continue to describe the devastating North winds blowing, which symbolizes the singer's emotions and the harsh reality of their situation. The singer urges Mary to cheer up, indicating that life must go on, even though Bold Riley is not around. However, the lyrics bring a glimmer of hope as they mention White-stocking Day, a day of celebration and revelry, where the singer and Mary will drink rum and try to forget their sorrows.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the rain it rains all day long,
The weather is miserable and rainy all the time.
And the northern wind, it blows so strong,
The wind from the north is always intense.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Farewell to my love.
Well come on Mary, don't look glum,
Cheer up, Mary.
Come White-stocking Day you'll be drinkin' rum
Mary will have a good time on White-stocking Day.
We're outward bound for the Bengal Bay,
We're sailing to the Bengal Bay.
Get bending, me lads, its a hell-of-a-way,
Work hard, boys; it's a long journey.
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o,
Farewell to my love.
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o,
Goodbye, my beloved.
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley,
Reference to a man named Bold Riley, the subject of the song.
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fionnmccueil
Once upon a time, my wife left, to go work in Hong Kong for half-a-year, halfway around the world from me. I'd never been, and could not fathom where she was in the world, only knowing that each night as i closed my front door on the California coast, I'd look off into the sunset to the west and imagine I could smell her skin on the breeze off the Pacific. A month or so into her move, decidedly not my usual happy self, I did this song at Open Mic night for all of our friends, changing the chorus to "Bold Holly", of course, and wound up singing and crying at the same time. This song will forever be about my wife, for me. : )
Oh, surprise, I'm crying now... Thank you, Kate Rusby. You are astonishing.
Mark Bailey [Cimarron-Memorial HS]
lol
Soul of the Teacher
@Eric "Weak." Ah. Back to your madrassa, Eric darling.
Eric
With men this weak it's no wonder the west is in turmoil.
Pauline6247
That is such a sweet story. Thank you.
Benedict Wesson
+fionnmccueil Holy crap. I have shivers. Thank you for sharing :3
tubite2
I was looking for a version by The Wailin' Jennys and discovered Kate's amazing version. Her pure voice is a treat for ear and soul. Yes. Please. Come to America.
dpoland
This song has haunted me for several years now.....it never ends in my mind...like an old friend. Concertina brings out the sentimental lonesome in me.
P Karol
@Himanshu https://www.facebook.com/david.poland.14
P Karol
@Himanshu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129OCYGAx8o