Martin Carthy (born May 21, 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist w… Read Full Bio ↴Martin Carthy (born May 21, 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival.

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'.

Brown Adam
Martin Carthy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh who would wish for the wind to blow
Or the green leaves fall therewith,
And who would wish for a finer love
Than Brown Adam the smith.

Oh his hammer is of a beaten gold
And his anvil's all of steel.
Oh his fingers white they are my delight

And he blows at his bellows well.

But they have banished him, young Brown Adam,
From father and from mother.
And they have banished him, young Brown Adam,
From sister and from brother.

And they have banished him, young Brown Adam,
From the flower of all his kin.
And he's built him a bower in the gay greenwood
All between his lady and him.

And as it fell out all on one day,
Brown Adam he thought long.
And he is away to the gay greenwood
For to hunt him venison.

And he's taken his bow all in his hand
And his arrows one by one,
And he is away to the gay greenwood
As fast as he could run.

And he shot up and he shot down
The bird all on the briar.
And he sent it all to his gay lady,
Told her be all of good cheer.

And he shot up and he shot down
The flower all on the thorn.
And he sent it all to his gay lady,
Told her he would be home in the morn.

Brown Adam, he come to his own bower door
And he stood there a little way away.
And it was there that he spied a full false knight
Come a-tempting his lady gay.

Oh the knight drew out a gay gold ring
That had cost him many's the pound.
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady,
And this shall all be thine."

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says,
"And I know that he loves me.
And I would not give Brown Adam's love
For any false knight that I see."

So the knight drew out a purse of gold
That was filled right up to the string.
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady,
And this shall all be thine."

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says,
"And I know that he loves me
And I would not give Brown Adam's love
For any false knight such as thee."

So the knight drew out his noble sword
And it flashed there all in her eye.
"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady,
Or through you this shall go."

Then a-sighing says the lady gay,
"Brown Adam tarries long."
Then up there jumped him Brown Adam,
He says, "Lady, I'm here at your hand."

And he's made him leave his bow and his bow
And he's made him leave his brand.

And he's made him leave a far better thing,
Four fingers of his right hand.

Overall Meaning

The song Brown Adam by Martin Carthy is a ballad about a young smith named Brown Adam who is exiled from his family and builds a bower in the gay greenwood. He leaves his lady in the bower one day to hunt for venison but when he returns, he finds a false knight tempting his lady. The false knight tries to win her love with gifts of a gold ring and a purse of gold, but she remains loyal to Brown Adam. When the false knight threatens her, Brown Adam shows up just in time to save her, but he sacrifices four fingers of his right hand in the fight. The song is a beautiful and tragic tale of loyalty, love, and sacrifice.

One of the interesting facts about this song is that it is part of a group of traditional ballads known as "Child Ballads." Francis James Child, an American scholar, collected and published these ballads in a book called The English and Scottish Popular Ballads in the late 1800s. Brown Adam is also known as "The Brown Girl" or "The Brown Girl of the Glen" and can be traced back to Scotland and Ireland.

Another interesting fact is that Martin Carthy's version of the song features an unusual tuning of the guitar, called "DADGAD." This tuning is used frequently in traditional Irish and Scottish music and creates a distinctive sound that adds to the haunting quality of the song.

The song has been covered by several artists throughout the years, including Pentangle, Led Zeppelin, and Joan Baez. In Led Zeppelin's version, the song is called "The Gallows Pole" and includes additional verses from another traditional song.

The lyrics of the song have sparked several interpretations and debates among folk music analysts. Some see it as a feminist song, as the lady remains loyal to Brown Adam and resists the false knight's advances. Others see it as a commentary on the class system, as Brown Adam is exiled from his family simply for being a smith.

Despite its tragic ending, the song has a hopeful message of love and loyalty. Brown Adam sacrifices his own well-being to protect his lady, demonstrating his fierce devotion to her. The song shows that even in the face of great danger and sacrifice, true love endures.

Chords (DADGAD tuning):
Verse: D-G-D-A-D
Chorus: G-A-D-G-A-D-G-A-D

Line by Line Meaning

Oh who would wish for the wind to blow Or the green leaves fall therewith,
Who would ever desire the misfortune of nature, like winds that cause leaves to fall?

And who would wish for a finer love Than Brown Adam the smith.
Who could ever wish for a better or more perfect love than the love of Brown Adam the blacksmith?

Oh his hammer is of a beaten gold And his anvil's all of steel.
The tools of Brown Adam's trade are of high-quality materials, with the hammer of beaten gold and the anvil made of steel.

Oh his fingers white they are my delight And he blows at his bellows well.
Brown Adam's skilled use of his white and strong fingers makes his lover happy, as does his proficient use of the bellows for his work.

But they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From father and from mother.
Brown Adam was kicked out by his own family and is no longer welcome as their own.

And they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From sister and from brother.
Brown Adam was also forcibly cast out by his siblings.

And they have banished him, young Brown Adam, From the flower of all his kin.
He is also excommunicated from all his relatives including his sweetheart.

And he's built him a bower in the gay greenwood All between his lady and him.
Brown Adam constructed his enclosure in the vast, lush forest to be close to his beloved woman.

And as it fell out all on one day, Brown Adam he thought long.
As time passed, Brown Adam pondered much about his situation.

And he is away to the gay greenwood For to hunt him venison.
Brown Adam went to the forest to catch deer for his ladylove.

And he's taken his bow all in his hand And his arrows one by one,
Brown Adam took his bow and arrows to capture his prey.

And he is away to the gay greenwood As fast as he could run.
He sprinted as quickly as he could to get to the forest.

And he shot up and he shot down The bird all on the briar.
Brown Adam aimed his bow and shot down a bird sitting on the thorny bush.

And he sent it all to his gay lady, Told her be all of good cheer.
Brown Adam sent the bird to his sweet lady and told her everything would be all right.

And he shot up and he shot down The flower all on the thorn.
He shot an arrow again, selecting a flower situated on a thorny bush.

And he sent it all to his gay lady, Told her he would be home in the morn.
The arrowed flower Brown Adam gave to his lady, promising he would return in the morning.

Brown Adam, he come to his own bower door And he stood there a little way away.
Brown Adam arrived at his bower, but he held back from approaching it outright.

And it was there that he spied a full false knight Come a-tempting his lady gay.
Brown Adam saw through the gaps of his bower, an imposter knight was trying to woo his lady.

Oh the knight drew out a gay gold ring That had cost him many's the pound.
The deceiver showed off a costly gold ring to Brown Adam's lover, hoping to win her love.

"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady, And this shall all be thine."
The insidious man asked the lady to love him in exchange for the valuable ring.

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says, "And I know that he loves me. And I would not give Brown Adam's love For any false knight that I see."
The lady declined the offer of the fake knight, assuring him she loves Brown Adam, and she wouldn't fall for any deceitful man.

So the knight drew out a purse of gold That was filled right up to the string.
The swindler then attempted to persuade her by offering her a purse filled with gold coins.

"Oh I love Brown Adam well," she says, "And I know that he loves me And I would not give Brown Adam's love For any false knight such as thee."
Again, the lady refused the trinket, insisting on her genuine love for Brown Adam and that she won't compromise it.

So the knight drew out his noble sword And it flashed there all in her eye.
When his persuasion attempts failed, the false knight revealed his threatening weapon.

"Oh grant me love, oh love, lady, Or through you, this shall go."
He menacingly demanded the lady's affection or death would come to her.

Then a-sighing says the lady gay, "Brown Adam tarries long." Then up there jumped him Brown Adam, He says, "Lady, I'm here at your hand."
Faced with a dilemma, the lady felt relieved when Brown Adam appeared, replying that he is by her side and that she's still waiting for him.

And he's made him leave his bow and his bow And he's made him leave his brand. And he's made him leave a far better thing, Four fingers of his right-hand.
Without hesitation, Brown Adam attacked the deceitful man and took away his weapon, bow, and his most prized possession--his four fingers on his right hand.

Contributed by Lila L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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