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
The Holly and the Ivy
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
CHORUS:
O the rusing of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
Sweet singing all in the choir,
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
To do poor sinners good.
CHORUS
The holly bears a blossom,
As white as lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
To be our sweet Saviour.
CHORUS
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
For to redeem us all
CHORUS
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
On Christmas Day in the morn.
CHORUS
Oh the holly bears a flower,
As white as any milk,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus
All wrapped up in silk.
"The Holly and the Ivy" is a traditional Christmas carol that has been sung for centuries. The lyrics tell the story of how the holly and the ivy are both significant trees in the woods, but the holly is superior because it bears the crown. The chorus celebrates the joyous sounds of nature and music during the Christmas season, mentioning the rising of the sun, the running of the deer, the laying of the merry organ, and sweet singing in the choir.
Each verse of the song focuses on a different characteristic of the holly tree and connects it to the birth of Jesus. The first verse tells us that the holly bears a berry that is as red as any blood, and Mary bore sweet Jesus to do poor sinners good. This refers to the sacrificial love and redemption that Jesus brings to the world. The second verse continues the theme of the holly as a symbol of Jesus, saying that it bears a blossom as white as a lily flower, and Mary bore sweet Jesus to be our sweet Savior. The third verse speaks to the idea of suffering and the bitterness in life, mentioning that the holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall, and Mary bore sweet Jesus to redeem us all. The fourth verse focuses on the sharpness and prickly nature of the holly with its prickle, and draws a connection to the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the cross. The final verse speaks to the beauty and delicacy of the holly with its delicate flowers, and Mary bore sweet Jesus, all wrapped up in silk.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy,
The holly and the ivy are being referred to in this song.
When they are both full grown,
When both the holly and the ivy are grown to their full size.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Out of all the trees in the forest.
The holly bears the crown.
The holly is the most superior or royal looking tree.
O the rusing of the sun,
The joyous rising of the sun.
And the running of the deer,
The sprinting of the deer for joy.
The laying of the merry organ,
The playing of the cheerful organ.
Sweet singing all in the choir,
Melodic singing by everybody in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
The holly tree bears a fruit.
As red as any blood,
The fruit is as red as blood.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
Mary gave birth to Jesus.
To do poor sinners good.
Jesus was sent down to Earth to do good for sinners.
The holly bears a blossom,
The holly tree produces a flower.
As white as lily flower,
The flower is as white as a lily.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
The line is being repeated to emphasise its importance.
To be our sweet Saviour.
Jesus was sent to Earth to save people.
The holly bears a bark,
The holly tree has a bark.
As bitter as any gall,
The bark is very bitter tasting, similar to gall.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
Another repeated line for emphasis.
For to redeem us all
Jesus was born to redeem or save all humans.
The holly bears a prickle,
The holly tree is spiky.
As sharp as any thorn,
The spikes are as sharp as thorns.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus,
Repeated line for emphasis.
On Christmas Day in the morn.
Jesus was born on Christmas day in the morning.
Oh the holly bears a flower,
The holly tree has another type of flower.
As white as any milk,
This flower is as white as milk.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus
Another repeated line for emphasis.
All wrapped up in silk.
Jesus was wrapped in silk after being born.
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.