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 Wild Goose
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
They're just like them pretty girls when they get the notion
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
Ranzo you'll rue the day
As the wild goose sails away
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
I met with a pretty girl my heart it was a quiver
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
I said how are you doing this morning
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
She said none the better for the seeing of you
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
You broke my heart oh you broke it full sore o'
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
If I sail like the wild goose
you'll break it no more o'
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
The interpretation of these lyrics relies heavily on knowledge of the cultural background in which they were written. "The Wild Goose" is a traditional English folk song that dates back to the 1700s, and it is believed to originate from the sea shanties sung by sailors during that time. At face value, the chorus appears to be a light-hearted celebration of the beauty and freedom of a wild goose as it sails the ocean waves. However, upon closer examination, the song is actually about the fickle and fleeting nature of love and the heartache it can cause.
The first verse compares the wild goose to pretty girls, both of which can be unpredictable and fleeting. The verse also introduces the character of Ranzo, who appears to be the subject of the song. The second verse finds the singer walking by a river when he meets a pretty girl that he becomes smitten with. He greets her kindly, but she rebuffs him, saying she is "none the better for the seeing of you." This rejection reinforces the theme of love as a fleeting and sometimes painful experience.
The chorus offers a warning to Ranzo that he will come to regret not prioritizing love in his life. The final verse suggests that the singer's heart is already broken, and that he will sail away like the wild goose so that the pretty girl can no longer hurt him. Overall, "The Wild Goose" is a poignant song about love and heartbreak, disguised as a simple tale of a sailing bird.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever see the wild goose sailing on the ocean
Have you ever witnessed the freedom and possibility of a wild goose gliding across the vastness of the sea?
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
An exclamation of joy and comradery among friends.
They're just like them pretty girls when they get the notion
Wild geese, like women, have moments of wanting to be free and independent.
Ranzo you'll rue the day
You'll regret and miss the freedom you let go.
As the wild goose sails away
As the opportunity for freedom becomes less and less attainable.
As I was walking one evening by the river
As I was wandering along the riverbanks on a peaceful evening.
I met with a pretty girl my heart it was a quiver
I encountered a lovely woman who stirred my emotions.
I said how are you doing this morning
As a greeting, I asked her how she was feeling.
She said none the better for the seeing of you
She responded with a sarcastic remark, saying that she was not any happier after seeing me.
You broke my heart oh you broke it full sore o'
You hurt me greatly and painfully, shattering my heart to pieces.
If I sail like the wild goose
If I embark on a journey of freedom and adventure like a wild goose.
you'll break it no more o'
You will no longer have the ability to hurt me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charliebradley9846
Sing on Kate Rusby. You lift souls everywhere with your beautiful voice and beautifully presented material.
@jmzfactor
This was on the soundtrack tonight to November Christmas on Hallmark Hall of Fame. I thought it was so beautiful and searched from the last line on Google and found it here. Exceptional and gorgeous singing.
@ChrisCurtisFan
Hallmark is running this beautiful movie again on November 23! Thank you for posting the live video of Kate Rusby doing this beautiful song!
@StevenRing-ws4tt
As an almost lifelong musician, I am so touched by this song, and especially Kate Rusby's presentation of it. Wow! What a precious tune. It puts me at ease every time I hear it. Thanks, Kate!
@nightingaleofsorrow9349
Agreed my friend!💕
@andrewrodgers2180
I am sitting here in me chair, blubbering away like a bady. This song and Kate's voice and presentation are so beautiful. No words, there are angels among us,
@robertmccardle5113
Ahmen.
@lorikunz9554
Came across this song after seeing November Christmas, makes me teary eyed listening to it
@henrithehero
Yep. Every time.
@Nsulliva629
I looked for it because of November Christmas in Hallmark, this scene on the hay ride is so wonderful.