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
Withered and Died
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Teased me and lied, teased me and lied
I've only sad stories to tell to this town
My dreams have withered and died
Once I was bending the tops of the trees
Kind words in my ears and kind faces to see
Then I struck up with the boys from the west
Count one to ten and he's gone with the west
My dreams have withered and died
Silver moon sailor and silver moonshine
On the water so wide, the water so wide
Steal from the bed of some good friend of mine
My dreams have withered and died
If I was a butterfly I'd live for a day
I would be free just blowing away
This cruel country has driven me down
Teased me and lied, teased me and lied
I've only sad stories to tell to this town
My dreams have withered and died
The song "Withered and Died" by Kate Rusby is a mournful ballad that conveys a deep sense of despair and hopelessness. The lyrics depict a person who has been worn down by the hardships of life and is left with nothing but sad stories to tell. The opening lines, "This cruel country has driven me down/Teased me and lied, teased me and lied," set the bleak tone of the song. The singer describes a time when they were happy and content, bending the tops of the trees and surrounded by kind people. However, this idyllic existence is disrupted when they "struck up with the boys from the west" and their dreams "withered and died."
The melancholy sentiment of the song is further reinforced in the second verse, which tells of a silver moon sailor who steals from the bed of a friend. This image suggests a person who is so desperate that they resort to acts of betrayal in order to survive. The final verse presents a poignant image of the butterfly, which symbolizes the fleeting nature of life and the desire for freedom. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "my dreams have withered and died," underscoring the sense of loss and resignation.
Overall, "Withered and Died" is a hauntingly beautiful song that expresses the pain and sorrow of a person who has been battered by life's challenges. It is a powerful reminder of the fragility of human existence and the need to cherish the fleeting moments of happiness that we are given.
Line by Line Meaning
This cruel country has driven me down
The harshness of this land has made me depressed and hopeless
Teased me and lied, teased me and lied
This land has deceived and taunted me repeatedly
I've only sad stories to tell to this town
All I have to offer are tales of sorrow and loss
My dreams have withered and died
My aspirations and hopes have faded away and perished
Once I was bending the tops of the trees
I used to feel powerful and significant, shaping the natural world around me
Kind words in my ears and kind faces to see
People were supportive and friendly towards me
Then I struck up with the boys from the west
I fell in with the wrong crowd and made bad choices
They'd run and hide, they'd run and hide
These so-called friends would abandon me when things got tough
Count one to ten and he's gone with the west
My companions were unreliable and untrustworthy, disappearing without warning
Silver moon sailor and silver moonshine
Escapist fantasies of adventure and freedom
On the water so wide, the water so wide
Yearning to leave and travel far away
Steal from the bed of some good friend of mine
Resorting to dishonesty and betrayal in order to survive
If I was a butterfly I'd live for a day
Wishing for a brief existence unburdened by pain or regret
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DonegalRaymie201
She's a true English rose....And all the more lovely for it!
Forget what you might think, but an English rose, is always a thing of beauty, no matter who appreciates her!
Kate can heal all wounds with her voice....
georgemccready
I can't tell you how much I love your voice - this is a particularly nice song. I've only come to hear your music this past few years and have listened to lots of your music now. I called to try get to a gig but I understand you've had a baby. I hope you're enjoying the 'break' and I hope I can catch one of your gigs really soon! David :)
whssy
Proud to say the bass player on this was in my first band. He's come a long way since our bad cover versions of Cramps, Pistols and Generation X songs. Only found out recently - and have been listening to this album for about 15 years.
Bexby
That's so epic! I've seen her a few times - I'm a Barnsley girl, and I see her when she performs locally :P
Austin Walsh
what a wonderfull voice n writes some great songs , kate your up there with the best folk artists in the world , hope your dreams blossom n grow, and the world hears more of kate rusby
EnosEverything
yes she writes some great songs but she certainly didn't write this classic - it is from the pen of that genius RICHARD THOMPSON and first turned up on the album he recorded with his then wife Linda , the album is entitled I WANT TO SEE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS TONIGHT... I advise those of you who love superb music to check out the album - it is hard to top.
Katherine O. Cooper
So lovely - I would love it if you had the option for closed captions. I can't hear everything you are saying. Keep up the good work!
Dr David Todd
Uniquely beautiful voice
Christopher Gallagher
Had Richard and Linda's I want to see the bright lights tonight, on which this figured, lost it but had this song going round my head for 30 years. Now this... WOW.
John Roberts
Beautiful singer. What a lovely person, too. Melts your heart. Tip? Get some of her Christmas records. Love them