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'.
Dust to Dust
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Digging graves for you to lie in.
Digging graves from morn' till night,
I makes me living from the dying.
Digging graves the whole day long,
And as I dig I sing this song
To anybody that comes along,
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
Rich and poor all come the same,
I bury you all there's none as favour.
Don't spend your life in seeking gain;
No gold from death will ever save you.
Mighty men with wealth and riches,
Beggars too in rags and stitches;
All end up in the wooden britches.
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
And so my song goes on.
Some we bury with foul diseases,
Some will die still young and pretty.
Death will take just who it pleases,
For in death there is no pity.
Mangled men with sightless eyes,
Babes in arms and maids like wives,
Fit or foolish, weak or wise.
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
And so I sing my song.
You might be dancing in the street,
You might be gay, you might be grieving.
You might be singing a song so sweet
But you'll not cheat death, there's no deceiving.
In the street or in the hall,
Whether you skip or whether you crawl,
Death could come any time at all.
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
And so my song goes on.
Death come early, death come late,
It takes us all, there is no reason.
For every purpose under heaven,
To each a turn, to each a season.
A time to weep and a time to sigh,
A time to laugh and a time to cry,
A time to be born and a time to die.
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
And so I end my song.
The song "Dust to Dust" by Martin Carthy is a meditative reflection on the universality of death, and the futility of striving for wealth or worldly success in the face of mortality. The singer of the song is a gravedigger who takes pleasure in his work, which provides him with a living by marking the end of others' lives. The song is filled with strong imagery that depicts death as a great equalizer that claims all people, regardless of their social standing or other circumstances.
Throughout the song, the gravedigger sings of the different types of people he has buried, from rich to poor, healthy to sick, and young to old. The underlying message is that no one is immune to death, and that in the end, all that is left is the dusty remains of the body. The gravedigger's refrain of "dust to dust and ashes to ashes" reinforces this idea and serves as a solemn reminder of the fleeting nature of human life.
While the song may seem macabre at first glance, it ultimately offers a sense of acceptance and even comfort in the face of death. By acknowledging the inevitability of our own mortality, we can find a greater appreciation for the time we have, and a deeper sense of connection to those around us. The gravedigger's song is a reminder that we are all part of the same cycle of life and death, and that even in death, we are all united.
Line by Line Meaning
Digging graves is my delight,
I enjoy digging graves for people to be buried in.
Digging graves for you to lie in.
I dig graves specifically for the person who has died.
Digging graves from morn' till night,
I dig graves all day long, from morning until night.
I makes me living from the dying.
My livelihood comes from the death of others.
Digging graves the whole day long,
I spend my entire day digging graves.
And as I dig I sing this song
I sing a song as I dig graves.
To anybody that comes along,
I sing my song to anyone who happens to be nearby.
Dust to dust and ashes to ashes,
Everything returns to dust and nothingness when it dies.
And so begins my song.
That is the opening line of my song.
Rich and poor all come the same,
Death treats everyone equally, regardless of their wealth or status.
I bury you all there's none as favour.
I do not show favoritism when I bury people, everyone is treated equally.
Don't spend your life in seeking gain;
Do not spend your life seeking wealth and material possessions.
No gold from death will ever save you.
No amount of wealth or material possessions can save you from death.
Mighty men with wealth and riches,
Even powerful and wealthy men succumb to death.
Beggars too in rags and stitches;
Even poor and destitute people meet the same fate.
All end up in the wooden britches.
Everyone ends up being buried in a wooden coffin.
Some we bury with foul diseases,
Some people are buried after suffering from terrible illnesses.
Some will die still young and pretty.
Some people die young, despite being healthy and attractive.
Death will take just who it pleases,
Death can come for anyone, regardless of their age or health status.
For in death there is no pity.
Death does not show mercy to anyone.
Mangled men with sightless eyes,
Some people are horribly disfigured or blind when they die.
Babes in arms and maids like wives,
Even infants and young, unmarried women are not spared.
Fit or foolish, weak or wise.
Death does not discriminate based on a person's physical fitness, intelligence or lack thereof.
You might be dancing in the street,
You might be enjoying life and feeling joyful.
You might be gay, you might be grieving.
You might be feeling happy or sad.
You might be singing a song so sweet
You might be enjoying a beautiful musical performance.
But you'll not cheat death, there's no deceiving.
You cannot deceive or cheat death, it will ultimately come for everyone.
In the street or in the hall,
Whether you're out in public or at home.
Whether you skip or whether you crawl,
Whether you're healthy and energetic or weak and physically impaired.
Death could come any time at all.
Death can strike at any moment, without warning.
Death come early, death come late,
People can die at any age, from infants to the elderly.
It takes us all, there is no reason.
Death is inevitable and affects everyone, regardless of the reasons behind it.
For every purpose under heaven,
Everything has its own purpose.
To each a turn, to each a season.
Everyone has their own turn to experience the different seasons of life.
A time to weep and a time to sigh,
There are times of sadness and mourning.
A time to laugh and a time to cry,
There are also times of joy and tears.
A time to be born and a time to die.
Everyone is born and everyone dies.
And so I end my song.
That is the closing line of my song.
Contributed by Colton R. 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....