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
Matt Hyland
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who had a handsome, lovely daughter.
She was courted by a fair young man
Who was a servant to her father.
But when her parents they came to know
They swore they'd send him from the island.
The maid she knew her heart would break
Had she to part with young Matt Hyland.
Then straightway unto her love she goes,
Into his room him to awaken.
Saying, arise my love, and go away,
This very night you will be taken.
I overheard my parents say
In spite of me he will transport you.
So arise, my love, and go away,
I wish to God I'd gone before you.
Oh must I go, to her he said,
Oh must I go without my wages.
Without one penny allin my purse
Just like some poor, forlorn stranger
Here's fifty guineas all in bright gold
And that's far more than father owes you.
So take it now and go away,
I wish to God I'd gone before you.
They both sat down upon the bed
Just for the side of one half hour,
Not a word did either speak,
But down their cheeks the tears did shower.
She rests her head upon his breast
And round his neck her arms entwined.
Not duke nor lord, nor earl I'll wed
I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland.
I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland.
I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland
The song "Matt Hyland" by Kate Rusby tells a story of forbidden love between a lord's daughter and a servant working for her father. The young couple wants to be together, but her parents do not approve of their relationship and plan to have him transported from the island. The maid could not bear the thought of being separated from Matt Hyland and decides to warn him before it's too late. She visits him in his room in the middle of the night and tells him to leave immediately. Matt Hyland worries about leaving without his wages, but the maid offers him fifty guineas, which is more than what his father owes.
The exchange between the two lovers is heartwarming and emotional as they sit on the bed and share their tears. She promises him that she will wait for him and will not marry anyone else. The song ends with the refrain "I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland."
The lyrics portray the difficulties of young love in a society where social status and class divides people. It highlights the sacrifices and the real value of love in the face of adversity. Kate Rusby's rendition of the song is hauntingly beautiful and captures the emotion of the story perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a lord, lived in this town
In this town lived a nobleman
Who had a handsome, lovely daughter.
This nobleman had a beautiful daughter
She was courted by a fair young man
The young woman was wooed by a handsome gentleman
Who was a servant to her father.
This gentleman was employed by her father
But when her parents they came to know
However, when her parents found out about their relationship
They swore they'd send him from the island.
They threatened to banish him from the island
The maid she knew her heart would break
The young woman knew her heart would be broken
Had she to part with young Matt Hyland.
If she had to part with her beloved, Matt Hyland
Then straightway unto her love she goes,
So she goes to her lover without delay
Into his room him to awaken.
To wake him from his slumber
Saying, arise my love, and go away,
She urges him to leave immediately
This very night you will be taken.
As they plan to forcibly remove him tonight
I overheard my parents say
She has overheard her parents talking
In spite of me he will transport you.
They plan to banish him regardless of her feelings
So arise, my love, and go away,
She implores him to leave
I wish to God I'd gone before you.
She regrets not leaving with him earlier
Oh must I go, to her he said,
He asks whether he truly must leave her
Oh must I go without my wages.
He won't receive payment for his services if he leaves
Without one penny allin my purse
He has no money in his possession
Just like some poor, forlorn stranger
He'll be like a poor, lost traveler
Here's fifty guineas all in bright gold
She gives him fifty gold coins
And that's far more than father owes you.
It's more than what her father would pay him
So take it now and go away,
She urges him to take the coins and leave
They both sat down upon the bed
Both of them sat on the bed
Just for the side of one half hour,
They sat there silently for thirty minutes
Not a word did either speak,
They didn't exchange a word
But down their cheeks the tears did shower.
But they cried together
She rests her head upon his breast
She leans her head on his chest
And round his neck her arms entwined.
And she wrapped her arms around his neck
Not duke nor lord, nor earl I'll wed
She refuses to marry a nobleman
I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland.
She'll wait for Matt Hyland
I'll wait for thee my own Matt Hyland.
She repeats that she'll wait for him
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
natanbridge
Interestingly, she leaves off the final verse, which gives the song a happy ending:
This lord surveyed his daughter’s plight
One night alone as she lay crying,
Saying, “I’ll give you leave to bring him back
Since there’s no one else you style above him.”
She wrote a letter with great haste,
For him her heart was sad repining.
She brought him back and to church they went
And she made a lord of young Matt Hyland.
Redgolf2
I could listen to the beautiful Kate Rusby Timmy dying breath! Love backing her songs in quiet moments, such scope to experience the beauty of her voice ☺️🥰
Rob Hoey
I love this woman's voice. She brings me joy, tears, and long lost thoughts
Ahmad Borhan
Kate is a very rare singer, great musician and story teller in her unique story telling voice.
jazzerat
What a beautiful rendition of one of my favorite songs! I didn't think anyone could give this song as much lift and life as Archie Fisher but this is an equal tie for certain! Beautiful, thanks!
spd47
This is a moving song,Kates voice conveys such emotion.
natanbridge
Interestingly, she leaves off the final verse, which gives the song a happy ending:
This lord surveyed his daughter’s plight
One night alone as she lay crying,
Saying, “I’ll give you leave to bring him back
Since there’s no one else you style above him.”
She wrote a letter with great haste,
For him her heart was sad repining.
She brought him back and to church they went
And she made a lord of young Matt Hyland.
Robert Laidler
Kate does separation songs better than any other - wonderful and heart breaking all at once
Teddyb1939
Lovely Kate Rusby version of this beautiful song.lovely backing,real folk sound.
henryquej chollettp
Preciosa, Bella, que hermosa VOZ, + EXITOS!!!
Rustsamurai1
She's a gem, is our Kate.