In her teens Prior moved to St Albans, where she befriended the young Donovan Leitch and Mac MacLeod. She later formed a duo with MacLeod called Mac & Maddy. She became a roadie for visiting American musicians, including Reverend Gary Davis.
In 1966 she began performing with Tim Hart, another St Albans resident, and together they recorded two albums before becoming founding members of Steeleye Span in 1969. They were the backbone of the group until the early 1980s when ill-health forced Tim into semi-retirement (Tim died at Christmas 2009). Prior left Steeleye Span in 1997 but returned in 2002.
Prior has enjoyed a long solo career, as well as working with other artists and groups, including Mac & Maddy, Tim Hart & Maddy Prior, and Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band. Her most famous - and lighthearted - team-up was with June Tabor in the Silly sisters.
Since 2003, Prior has run and hosted an Arts Centre called Stones Barn in Cumbria.
http://www.maddyprior.co.uk/
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
Maddy Prior 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
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
Maddy Prior’s version of "The Holly and the Ivy" is a traditional English Christmas carol that has been passed down through generations. The opening verse of the song speaks of the holly and ivy being fully grown. It refers to the two plants in the wild and how the holly is seen as the more superior, bearing the crown. The holly symbolizes the male, and the ivy symbolizes the female, which represents balance and harmony. The second verse speaks of the white blossoms of the holly, representing the Virgin Mary, and her birth of Jesus, who is believed to be the savior of all Christians. The third verse talks about the red berries of the holly, believed to represent the blood of Jesus, which he shed to redeem humankind's sins. The fourth verse speaks of the prickles on the holly, believed to represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on his head at the time of his crucifixion. Lastly, the fifth verse refers to the bitter bark of the holly, believed to signify the bitterness of Christ’s suffering.
This song is a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and a call to reflect on the symbolism of the holly plant. The holly plant's unique features are used here to represent historical events and beliefs in the Christian faith. It is through the holly plant's symbolism that Christians can reflect on the true sacrifice of Christ, who came to redeem the sins of the world. The song also demonstrates the power of nature in religious symbolism.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy,
The song talks about the holly and the ivy, two plants that are often used during Christmas time.
When they are both full grown
The plants are in their prime and have reached maturity.
Of all the trees that are in the wood
Out of all the trees in the forest, the holly is considered to be the most significant.
The holly bears the crown
The holly is depicted as royalty, with its crown-like appearance.
O the rising of the sun
The song praises the sunrise, a symbol of new beginnings and hope.
And the running of the deer
The deer, often associated with Christmas, represents grace and peace.
The playing of the merry organ
The organ music symbolizes joy and celebration during the festive season.
Sweet singing of the choir
The choir's sweet singing adds to the atmosphere of cheerfulness and adds a touch of harmony and beauty to the music.
The holly bears a blossom
The holly produces beautiful white flowers, just like the lily flower.
As white as lily flower
The color of the holly's flowers was compared to the white color of lily flowers.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is being mentioned in the song as the one who carried the savior.
To be our sweet Saviour
The purpose of Jesus' birth was to become our savior.
The holly bears a berry
The holly also produces a bright red berry that stands out against the green leaves.
As red as any blood
The holly's berries' bright red color was compared to the color of blood, representing the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary is again mentioned as the mother of Jesus.
To do poor sinners good
Jesus was born to save sinners and bring goodness to their lives.
The holly bears a prickle
The holly has sharp, pointed leaves that represent the thorns on Jesus' head during his crucifixion.
As sharp as any thorn;
The sharpness of the holly leaves was compared to the pain of the thorns that Jesus wore on his head on the day of his death.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
The song mentions Mary once again as the mother of Jesus.
On Christmas Day in the morn.
Jesus was born on Christmas day, as the sun was rising.
The holly bears a bark
The holly's bark is bitter to the taste, and it was used medicinally in the past.
As bitter as any gall;
The bitterness of the holly's bark was compared to the bitterness of the gall that Jesus was given on the day of his crucifixion.
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
Mary is mentioned again in the song as the one who gave birth to Jesus.
For to redeem us all.
Jesus was born to save us and redeem all of humanity.
The holly and the ivy
The song comes full circle and returns to the two plants that are the focus of the song.
Now both are full well grown,
The holly and the ivy have both grown to their full potential and are mature.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly is still considered to be the most significant out of all the trees in the forest.
The holly bears the crown.
The holly is still portrayed as royalty with its crown-like appearance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LALO SCHIFRIN, . TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind