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
Sir Eglamore
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
fa la lanky down dilly,
He took up his sword and he went to fight,
fa la lanky down dilly,
As he rode o'er hill and dale,
all armored in a coat of mail
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
fa la lanky down dilly,
That killed God knows how many men,
fa la lanky down dilly,
When she saw Sir Eglamore,
you should have heard that dragon roar,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
Well then the trees began to shake,
fa la lanky down dilly,
Horse did tremble and man did shake,
fa la lanky down dilly,
The birds betook them all to peep,
it would have made a grown man weep,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
But all in vain it was to fear,
fa la lanky down dilly,
For now they fall to fight like bears,
fa la lanky down dilly,
To it they go and soundly fight,
fa la lanky down dilly,
the live-long day from morn to night,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
The dragon had a plaguey hide,
fa la lanky down dilly,
That could the sharpest steel abide,
fa la lanky down dilly,
No sword could enter through her skin,
which vexed the knight and made her grin,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
But as in choler she did burn,
fa la lanky down dilly,
He fetched the dragon a great good turn,
fa la lanky down dilly,
As a yawning she did fall,
he thrust his sword up hilt and all,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
Like a coward she did fly, fa la lanky down dilly,
To her den which was hard by,
fa la lanky down dilly,
There she lay all night and roared,
the knight was sorry for his sword,
fa la la-n-ba, da-n-da da-n-ba, lanky down dilly.
"Sir Eglamore" is a traditional English ballad that tells the story of a valiant knight who sets out to fight a fearsome dragon. The song is structured as a series of stanzas, each containing four lines and a chorus, and is performed with a lively and upbeat melody.
The song opens with Sir Eglamore setting out on his quest, fully armored and armed with his trusty sword. As he rides through the countryside, he encounters the dragon, which has killed many men with its fiery breath. The dragon lets out a fearsome roar upon seeing Sir Eglamore, and the two engage in a fierce battle that lasts all day.
Despite the dragon's thick, impenetrable hide, Sir Eglamore manages to defeat it by thrusting his sword up into its open mouth. The dragon flees to its den, where it continues to roar and make a commotion throughout the night. Sir Eglamore, feeling sorry for his sword, leaves the dragon in peace and rides off victorious.
Overall, the song celebrates the bravery and daring of Sir Eglamore, as well as the triumph of good over evil. It also highlights the importance of perseverance and determination in the face of daunting challenges, as Sir Eglamore never gives up in his fight against the dragon.
Line by Line Meaning
Sir Eglamore was a valiant knight,
Sir Eglamore was a brave and heroic knight.
He took up his sword and he went to fight,
He armed himself with a sword and set off to engage in battle.
As he rode o'er hill and dale, all armored in a coat of mail
He rode over hills and valleys wearing a suit of armor for protection.
Out came a dragon from his den,
A dragon emerged from its lair.
That killed God knows how many men,
The dragon had killed an unknown number of people.
When she saw Sir Eglamore, you should have heard that dragon roar,
When the dragon saw Sir Eglamore, it let out a deafening roar.
Well then the trees began to shake,
The trees around them began to tremble.
Horse did tremble and man did shake,
The horse and man both trembled in fear.
The birds betook them all to peep, it would have made a grown man weep,
The birds flew away and their cries would have made even a strong man cry.
But all in vain it was to fear,
Their fear was meaningless and unnecessary.
For now they fall to fight like bears,
They began to fight fiercely like bears.
To it they go and soundly fight, the live-long day from morn to night,
They fought with all their might from morning till nightfall.
The dragon had a plaguey hide,
The dragon had a tough and resilient skin.
That could the sharpest steel abide,
Even the sharpest of swords couldn't penetrate the dragon's skin.
No sword could enter through her skin, which vexed the knight and made her grin,
The knight was frustrated because his sword couldn't harm the dragon, and the dragon found this amusing.
But as in choler she did burn,
As the dragon became more agitated and angry,
He fetched the dragon a great good turn,
The knight made a successful and strategic move against the dragon.
As a yawning she did fall, he thrust his sword up hilt and all,
As the dragon opened its mouth wide, the knight plunged his sword with full force, even up to the hilt.
Like a coward she did fly,
The dragon fled like a coward.
To her den which was hard by,
The dragon retreated back to its lair.
There she lay all night and roared, the knight was sorry for his sword,
The dragon lay there roaring all night, and the knight felt remorseful for injuring it with his sword.
Contributed by Sebastian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@narcolepticaxolotl4970
How can something I've never heard before give me such nostalgia? This music is actual magic.
@ferghalmolloy8450
This was live? Jeese. Could have easily been a studio recording. What a talent she was then and still is now. Seen her last year - epic.
@bieuxyongson
This was just delightful. I'm not sure who to feel sorrier for, the dragon or the knight. I wish Kate would tour the states. I'd drive anywhere to see her.
@NamingTheTwinsVideo
Another brilliant Kate Rusby production - Kate your vocals just flow so beautifully and effortlessly. You're an inspiration, Kath & Robbie Naming the Twins
@68jroche
We sang a version of this song as part of "Time and Tune" in the late 1970s. It's a very old song. This version/arrangement is very good!
@hippy0055
Fabulous song perfectly sung, thanks Kate.
@Oatmealintheam
Still here a decade later. What a profound composition.
@ashleyautumn7775
Actually, Sir Eglamore was originally written about a knight rescuing a maiden from a tree, but dragons have become more popular so they've changed the words. Back when this was written (14th century) dragons weren't actually all that popular in tales and wild boars were considered far more scary, probably because they were a legitimate threat of the time. The song comes from the Tales of Sir Eglamore of Artois. I suggest you read the actual stories that the song is an adaptation of.
@patrickkelly5004
What a treasure Kate Rusby is, and particularly this "tune".
@csyminth
I'm a fan of Kate Rusby myself, and was singing along all the way!