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
Streams of Nancy
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweetheats
Its the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing
And the noise in the bardy make the rocks fall to you
At the top of this mountain my loves castle stands
And its overbuilt with ivy and under black sand
Five arches five porches like diamonds so bright
On yonder high mountain the wild fowl do fly
And its swanning and grows them that files very high
If I have them in my hands mere diamonds far grand
And soon I would secure her by the slight of my hand
At the base of this mountain a river runs clear
And a ship from the Indies it warrants a cover
With a red flags a flying the beating of her drum
Sweet instruments of music and the firin' of her bow
O the streams of rovin'Nancy divide in three parts
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweetheats
Its the drinking of good liquor that makes my heart sing
And the noise in her body make the rocks fall to you
"Streams of Nancy" is a traditional folk song that tells the story of a lover's journey through the streams and mountains to reach his love's castle. The song begins by describing the three streams of "rovin' Nancy" which divide and allow for young couples to meet and drink liquor in the "bardy", or pub. It is interesting to note the use of colloquial language throughout the song, with "rovin'" instead of "roving" and "bardy" instead of "bar".
The lover then speaks of his love's castle at the top of the mountain, which is made even more beautiful by its ivy-covered walls and "diamond" porches. The castle is compared to a "beacon" for sailors, highlighting its importance and beauty. The use of strong imagery in this verse helps to create a vivid picture of the lover's journey and ultimate goal.
In the final verse, the lover speaks of the river that runs at the base of the mountain and the arrival of a ship from the Indies. The ship is described as having "sweet instruments of music" and a "firin' of her bow", adding to the excitement and joyful atmosphere that is present throughout the song.
Overall, "Streams of Nancy" is a lively and romantic folk song that celebrates the beauty of nature and love. Through its descriptive lyrics and engaging imagery, the song paints a vivid picture of the lover's journey to reach his beloved's castle.
Line by Line Meaning
O the Streams Of rovin' Nancy divide in three parts
The three streams of roving Nancy are a place where young lovers often meet.
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweetheats
It is a place where young men and women come to meet and spend time with their lovers.
Its the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing
Drinking good liquor is something that brings joy to the singer's heart.
And the noise in the bardy make the rocks fall to you
The noise in the tavern is so lively that it could make the rocks outside move.
At the top of this mountain my loves castle stands
The castle of the singer's beloved stands on the top of a mountain.
And its overbuilt with ivy and under black sand
The castle is completely covered with ivy and is situated under a layer of black sand.
Five arches five porches like diamonds so bright
The castle has five arches and porches that sparkle like bright diamonds.
Its a beacon for a sailor on a dark winters night
The castle is like a guiding light for sailors navigating through the darkness of winter nights.
On yonder high mountain the wild fowl do fly
Wild birds can be seen flying on the distant high mountain.
And its swanning and grows them that files very high
The birds there are graceful swans that can fly very high in the sky.
If I have them in my hands mere diamonds far grand
If the singer were to hold those birds in his hands, they would be like priceless diamonds.
And soon I would secure her by the slight of my hand
If he had those birds, he would use them to win over his beloved's heart.
At the base of this mountain a river runs clear
There is a clear river that flows at the foot of the mountain.
And a ship from the Indies it warrants a cover
A ship from the Indies is docked nearby and requires shelter.
With a red flags a flying the beating of her drum
The ship's red flag is waving proudly and the sound of drums can be heard.
Sweet instruments of music and the firin' of her bow
The ship has sweet-sounding musical instruments and the sound of her bow firing.
And the noise in her body make the rocks fall to you
The loud noise on the ship is so intense that it might even cause the rocks to fall nearby.
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bobshafto
O the Streams Of lovely Nancy divide in three parts,
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweethearts.
It's the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing,
And the noise in the valley make the rocks for to ring.
At the top of this mountain my love's castle stands.
And its overbuilt with ivory on yonder black sand.
Fine arches, fine porches like diamonds so bright
It's a beacon for a sailor on a dark winter's night
On yonder high mountain the wild fowl do fly
And it's one in amongst them that flies very high
If I had her in my arms, near diamond's black land,
How soon I would secure her by the sleight of my hand.
At the base of this mountain a river runs clear
And a ship from the Indies it once anchored there.
With her red flags a-flyin', the beating of her drum,
Sweet instruments of music and the firin' of her gun.
O the streams of lovely Nancy divide in three parts,
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweethearts.
It's the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing,
And the noise in the valley make the rocks for to ring.
@dazzajlee
Our Kate...you capture beauty in your song just like a butterfly net..........Sing on sweet butterfly xxx
@306bad
I have been a fan of Kate Rusby for a few years now, and have purchased 6 or 7 albums, been to 3 concerts, and I have the Leeds DVD but I have never heard this brilliant song, Thankyou for the push, I will have to get the full set danaraina, Thankyou ! brilliant that you gave us the words also, Kate is brilliant as you know, thanks again
@Alexo1954
Fantastic song and wonderful playing and singing. Thanks so much.
@californiadreamin8423
Superb.
The use of the brass instruments is magic.
@msweaver2
Hello: I first heard Martin Best and Edward Flower perform this lovely song here in Vancouver a long time ago. I never thought that it could be sung better but now I stand corrected. This is a beautiful rendition. Thank-you. Michael
@Bri37f
Lovely song, beautifully sung
@roberthercliffe4783
Maisie traditional folk songs were often passed on orally and, since they were not learned from written forms, they got altered into different versions by successive singers. Different versions of what is essentially the same song can often be found across the English speaking world. The American streets of laredo for example is known in Britain as when I was on horseback. I could give you hundreds of examples of regional variations of folk songs.
@maiusmollis
I know lyrics become altered (I sing folk songs and change them myself sometimes haha) think some of them just weren't matching with this recording...
@bobshafto
O the Streams Of lovely Nancy divide in three parts,
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweethearts.
It's the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing,
And the noise in the valley make the rocks for to ring.
At the top of this mountain my love's castle stands.
And its overbuilt with ivory on yonder black sand.
Fine arches, fine porches like diamonds so bright
It's a beacon for a sailor on a dark winter's night
On yonder high mountain the wild fowl do fly
And it's one in amongst them that flies very high
If I had her in my arms, near diamond's black land,
How soon I would secure her by the sleight of my hand.
At the base of this mountain a river runs clear
And a ship from the Indies it once anchored there.
With her red flags a-flyin', the beating of her drum,
Sweet instruments of music and the firin' of her gun.
O the streams of lovely Nancy divide in three parts,
Where the young men and maidens they meet their sweethearts.
It's the drinking of good liquor that make my heart sing,
And the noise in the valley make the rocks for to ring.
@maryryan3442
Thank you for posting the Correct Lyrics to this beautiful song! Now it makes sense!