He was born in Hatfield and grew up in Hampstead, London. After training as an actor he sang in coffee bars. He became a resident at the Troubador folk club in Earls Court in the late 1950s. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961. He is a renowned solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on his trusty old Martin Guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternate tunings, and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasizes the melody. His debut album, Martin Carthy, was released in 1965, and also featured Dave Swarbrick playing fiddle on some tracks, although he was not mentioned in the album's sleeve notes.
He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972, was an early member of the UK folk rock group Steeleye Span, and was part of the innovative Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and mandolin and John Kirkpatrick's accordion, melodeon and concertina.
For many years Carthy has enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick. More recently, Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for a successful partnership with partner Norma Waterson together with their daughter Eliza Carthy.
In June 1998 he was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He was named Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002, and again in 2005 when he also won the award for Best Traditional Track for 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'.
All Of A Row
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The farmer the fruit of the earth gathers in.
In mirth let us talk till the season be gone
And at night give a holler till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
At night give a holler till it's all of a row.
Then early next morning our hooks we do grind,
Our foreman looks back and he sees 'em behind
And he gives a loud hallo, bring it all well behind,
Bring it all well behind,
He gives a loud hallo bring it all well behind.
Oh then says our foreman behind and before,
We will have a fresh wet and a half a pint more.
So me jolly boys to the end we will go,
To the end we will go till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
To the end we will go till it's all of a row.
When the night it comes on to the farm we will steer
To partake a good supper and to drink a strong beer;
In wishing the farmer such blessings in life
As in drinking a health unto him and his wife,
Unto him and his wife,
As in drinking a health unto him and his wife.
Our wheat's all in, oats and barley abound,
Here's success to the farmer who ploughs through the ground.
As to this wheat stubble it to turnips we'll sow
And so we'll continue till it's all of a row,
Till it's all of a row,
And so we'll continue till it's all of a row.
The song "All of A Row" by Martin Carthy is a traditional English folk song that celebrates the harvest season. The song tells the story of farmers gathering the fruit of the earth during the harvest season. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, where the singer talks about how the farmers work together in harmony to bring in the crops. The second verse describes the process of grinding hooks in preparation for reaping the crops the next day. The third verse talks about drinking and celebrating together after a hard day's work. The final verse is an expression of gratitude to the farmer and wishes for his continued prosperity.
The song is full of imagery and metaphors, evoking a sense of community and hard work. The "all of a row" line refers to the idea that the crops are gathered in neat rows or lines, which is a testament to the careful planning and laborious work that goes into farming. The line "bring it all well behind" emphasizes the importance of teamwork and ensuring that everyone is working together to get the job done. The references to drinking and celebrating together after a hard day's work also highlight the importance of community and friendship in rural life.
Overall, "All of A Row" is a celebration of the harvest season and the beauty of working together towards a common goal. It is a reminder of the importance of community and hard work in shaping our lives and our futures.
Line by Line Meaning
As the harvest comes on and the reaping begins
As the season of harvest arrives and the reaping begins
The farmer the fruit of the earth gathers in.
The farmer collects the crops from the ground.
In mirth let us talk till the season be gone
Let us engage in cheerful conversation until the harvest season is over.
And at night give a holler till it's all of a row,
And at night, make a loud shout until everything is in a row.
Till it's all of a row,
Until everything is neatly arranged.
Then early next morning our hooks we do grind,
Then, we sharpen our tools early the next morning.
Away to the cornfield to reap and to bind.
We head to the cornfield to harvest and bundle the crops.
Our foreman looks back and he sees 'em behind
Our supervisor looks back and sees the workers following behind.
And he gives a loud hallo, bring it all well behind,
He shouts loudly, asking everyone to keep up and stay behind.
Bring it all well behind,
Make sure everything is properly collected and arranged.
Oh then says our foreman behind and before,
Our supervisor then says that we will be rewarded with refreshments.
We will have a fresh wet and a half a pint more.
We will have some fresh drinks and an extra half a pint.
So me jolly boys to the end we will go,
So, my merry fellows, we'll work until the end.
To the end we will go till it's all of a row,
We'll keep working until everything is properly arranged.
When the night it comes on to the farm we will steer
At night, we will head back to the farm.
To partake a good supper and to drink a strong beer;
To have a good meal and drink some strong beer.
In wishing the farmer such blessings in life
We wish the farmer well in his life.
As in drinking a health unto him and his wife,
We toast to the good health of the farmer and his wife.
Unto him and his wife,
To him and his wife.
Our wheat's all in, oats and barley abound,
We have harvested all the wheat, and have an abundance of oats and barley.
Here's success to the farmer who ploughs through the ground.
We wish the farmer success in his hard work.
As to this wheat stubble it to turnips we'll sow
We will plant turnips in the wheat stubble.
And so we'll continue till it's all of a row,
And we will continue this process until everything is perfectly arranged.
Till it's all of a row,
Until everything is neatly arranged.
Contributed by Lauren P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel
on Lovely Joan
Hello ! The lyrics here art alle wrong. An' it's got tae be a frog-eater a-tellin' thee....