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
My Young Man
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With his eyes all closed and his head bowed down,
My young man never sleeps.
The rain it falls upon his back
The dust before his eyes is black,
Oft the times, oft the times my young man weeps.
My young man wears a coat,
Which my young man wore with pride.
Now I dress the coat all on his back,
For love for him I will not lack,
But to see it now, that collier's coat, I can't abide.
My young man, where's he gone?
Once in his eyes my whole world shone
Now my young man he looks away.
Man and wife we used to be
Now he's like a child upon my knee
And in my arms I help my young man through the day.
A young girl no more am I
But I shall not weep and I will not cry,
For my young man needs me still.
If someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
So leave him here, I need him now and always will.
Oh if someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
And If he must go, let your best angels keep him well
The song "My Young Man" by Kate Rusby tells the story of a woman's love and devotion for her husband who is suffering from some form of physical or mental illness. The first verse describes the physical state of the woman's husband - he wears a frown, keeps his eyes closed, and never sleeps. The second verse refers to his previous life as a "bonnie" young man who used to wear a coat with pride. However, now the woman dresses him in a "collier's coat", implying that he has had to take on a job that is difficult and dangerous. The third verse reveals the woman's deep love for her husband despite his current circumstances. She muses about their life as man and wife in the past and the fact that she now takes care of him like a child. The chorus is a plea to anyone watching above to let her keep him and care for him, or if he must go, to let the angels watch over him.
The song seems to explore themes of love, devotion, sacrifice, and the unpredictability of life. The woman in the song is willing to put aside her own desires and needs to care for her husband through his struggles. The chorus suggests that there may be a higher power watching over them and that they will be taken care of no matter what happens. The lyrics are simple yet poignant and are accompanied by a gentle melody that perfectly captures the emotional weight of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
My young man wears a frown
My beloved looks sad and troubled
With his eyes all closed and his head bowed down
He seems to be lost and deep in thought
My young man never sleeps.
He is restless and troubled
The rain it falls upon his back
He suffers under the weight of his burdens
The dust before his eyes is black
He is surrounded by darkness and despair
Oft the times, oft the times my young man weeps.
He is overwhelmed with sadness and grief
My young man wears a coat,
He wears a coat that represents his struggles
Once, long ago, a bonnie coat
It used to be a beautiful and proud garment
Which my young man wore with pride.
He used to be strong and confident
Now I dress the coat all on his back,
I help him with his burdens
For love for him I will not lack,
I am committed to supporting him
But to see it now, that collier's coat, I can't abide.
It is painful to see him struggle with his work
My young man, where's he gone?
He has changed and I don't know where he is anymore
Once in his eyes my whole world shone
He used to be my everything
Now my young man he looks away.
He has turned away from me
Man and wife we used to be
We used to be married and in love
Now he's like a child upon my knee
He has become vulnerable and dependent on me
And in my arms I help my young man through the day.
I am there to support him and help him cope
A young girl no more am I
I have grown older and wiser
But I shall not weep and I will not cry,
I know what I must do and I am strong enough to do it
For my young man needs me still.
He relies on me for support and comfort
If someone's watching up above
If there is a higher power
You'll see how much my dear I love,
They will see how much I love my young man
So leave him here, I need him now and always will.
I will always be there for him and support him
And If he must go, let your best angels keep him well
If he passes away, I hope he will be watched over and cared for
Contributed by Julian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Brown
My young man wears a frown
With his eyes all closed and his head bowed down,
My young man never sleeps.
The rain it falls upon his back
The dust before his eyes is black,
Oft the times, oft the times my young man weeps.
My young man wears a coat,
Once, long ago, a bonnie coat
Which my young man wore with pride.
Now I dress the coat all on his back,
For love for him I will not lack,
But to see it now, that collier's coat, I can't abide.
My young man, where's he gone?
Once in his eyes my whole world shone
Now my young man he looks away.
Man and wife we used to be
Now he's like a child upon my knee
And in my arms I help my young man through the day.
A young girl no more am I
But I shall not weep and I will not cry,
For my young man needs me still.
If someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
So leave him here, I need him now and always will.
Oh if someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
And If he must go, let your best angels keep him well
Robert Carr
A very, very beautiful song that brings a proud tear to my eyes. God bless the men who dig the coal: God bless them all.
Brian Mac Leod
I recently journeyed back to my home in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in the company of a decent chap, a former coal miner who regaled me with stories of his years as a miner in No.26 Colliery in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, including the tale of how he didn't work his usual shift one day, being replaced by his closest friend, the best man at his wedding. He had joked and waved to him as he descended in the cages...a few short hours later he was dead, killed in an explosion at the coal face. I had shared with him this video on Facebook, and the images in "My Young Man" brought back a flood of poignant memories to him. Tough exteriors and warm hearts, every man of them. Keep these songs coming, Kate, and I can say with certainty that I have been doing my damndest to build up your fan base here in Nova Scotia.
Adam Welton
God keep you and yours, Mac. You're not alone.
Peter rear
never fails to make me cry the lyrics, the blend of voice and brass.
always stunning live
Eddie Saripo
This song is about a miner, it is Kate`s beautiful way of talking, through music about her grandad who she never met from the perception of her grandmother. It is a stunningly wonderful piece of music about their relationship in hard times. It is her history and perception of her grandparents and their love for each other. It is so sincere it makes you very fragile.
Ray Watson
without doubt one of Kate's finest works. Such a brilliant reflection on the hard life of the miners and their famiies and the affect the onslaught of dementia has upon us all. .
Paul Brown
My young man wears a frown
With his eyes all closed and his head bowed down,
My young man never sleeps.
The rain it falls upon his back
The dust before his eyes is black,
Oft the times, oft the times my young man weeps.
My young man wears a coat,
Once, long ago, a bonnie coat
Which my young man wore with pride.
Now I dress the coat all on his back,
For love for him I will not lack,
But to see it now, that collier's coat, I can't abide.
My young man, where's he gone?
Once in his eyes my whole world shone
Now my young man he looks away.
Man and wife we used to be
Now he's like a child upon my knee
And in my arms I help my young man through the day.
A young girl no more am I
But I shall not weep and I will not cry,
For my young man needs me still.
If someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
So leave him here, I need him now and always will.
Oh if someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
And If he must go, let your best angels keep him well
Ana Song
I sang this on my uncle's funeral. Hard to keep myself from crying.
Paul Davison
One of the first of Kates songs I heard and I keep coming back to it because it is so beautiful. The subject, words, incredible voice and the feeling Kate puts into the performance all add up to a wonderful evocative piece. Should be required listening for all in this crazy world we live in today.
dunferboy
I was a young lad 23 years old , when I worked down Gedling Colliery (1987-1992 ); it was good, honest, hard work....with Kate Rusby's beautiful song, the hardness of being a collier is all the more entrenched into human imagination. A beautiful song, a beautiful way of working life....I will never tire of it, and after all these years, I would gladly return tomorrow ! Kate did a brilliant tribute , bles her dear heart !! xx