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 in Green
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The merry deer ran before.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
The red rare deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
The cruel bugle sang before.
Horn at hip went my love riding
Riding the echo down
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The level meadows ran before.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
The lean lithe deer
The fleet flown deer.
Four fleet does at a gold valley
The famished arrows sang before.
Bow at belt went my love riding
Riding the mountain down into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
The sheer peaks ran before.
Paler be they than daunting death
The sleek slim deer
The tall tense deer.
Four tall stags at a green mountain
The lucky hunter sang before.
All in green went my love riding
On a great horse of gold
Into the silver dawn.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
My heart fell dead before.
The lyrics to Martin Carthy's "All in Green" present a beautifully vivid description of a lover's journey through nature. The poem appears to be highly imaginative, and Carthy uses rich metaphorical language to convey the lover's journey through various terrains. The lover rides on a great horse of gold and is accompanied by four lean hounds crouched low and smiling as they traverse through the level meadows, where the "merry deer ran before." The journey leads them through a gold valley, a green mountain, and finally to the tall stags atop the green mountain.
The imagery in the song is very impactful, and each line is carefully crafted to elicit a specific response from the listener. The use of metaphorical language and vivid imagery creates an element of fantasy in the song that is both mystical and dreamy. However, as the poem progresses, there is a slight undercurrent of danger that adds to the tension in the scene. The cruel bugle, the famished arrows, and the sheer peaks are all symbols of danger that the lover must face on their journey.
Overall, the lyrics to Martin Carthy's "All in Green" are a beautiful tribute to the power of nature and its ability to evoke an emotional response from its observer. The careful use of language and masterful depiction of imagery make this poem a timeless piece of art that continues to amaze listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
All in green went my love riding
My beloved rode out in green attire
On a great horse of gold
Mounted on a majestic golden horse
Into the silver dawn.
Gallop towards the morning light.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
Four thin and happy dogs sat with their bellies close to the ground.
The merry deer ran before.
The joyful deer ran ahead.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
The swift deer are faster than even the fanciful dreams.
The swift sweet deer
The deer that are fast and sweet
The red rare deer.
The very unusual red deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
Four reddish-brown roebucks at clear water.
The cruel bugle sang before.
A harsh hunting horn sounded before them.
Horn at hip went my love riding
My love carried a horn on his hip while riding.
Riding the echo down
Riding while his echo followed him down the valley.
Into the silver dawn.
Toward the morning sun's silver light.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
Four thin and happy dogs sat with their bellies close to the ground.
The level meadows ran before.
The grassy plains stretched before them.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
The gentle deer are softer than sleepwear.
The lean lithe deer
The thin and graceful deer
The fleet flown deer.
The deer that are both fast and can fly
Four fleet does at a gold valley
Four swift females deer at a valley full of gold
The famished arrows sang before.
The hungry arrowheads made a singing sound.
Bow at belt went my love riding
My beloved carried his bow at his belt while he rode.
Riding the mountain down into the silver dawn.
Descending the mountain on the start of a new day.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
Four thin and happy dogs sat with their bellies close to the ground.
The sheer peaks ran before.
The steep mountains loomed before them.
Paler be they than daunting death
These deer are even paler than scary death.
The sleek slim deer
The smooth and slender deer
The tall tense deer.
The deer are both tall and stressed.
Four tall stags at a green mountain
Four big male deer at a green mountain
The lucky hunter sang before.
The fortunate hunter sang out before shooting.
All in green went my love riding
My beloved rode out in green attire
On a great horse of gold
Mounted on a majestic golden horse
Into the silver dawn.
Gallop towards the morning light.
Four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
Four thin and happy dogs sat with their bellies close to the ground.
My heart fell dead before.
I lost my heart (died inside) at that moment.
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Debra Giannini
Amazing!