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'.
Georgie
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pretty boy quick as any
He would run five miles in one half an hour
A letter to pardon my Georgie
For what has Georgie done on Shooter's Hill
Was it stealing or murder of any
Oh he stole sixteen of the lord judge's deer
Oh saddle em up cries my lily-white breast
Oh saddle me up cries my pony
With bright guns in his hand and a sword at his side
Would you spare me the life of my Georgie
And Georgie's fathered six babes loved
There's a seventh one into my body
But it's with it part with all I have got
If you'll spare me the life of my Georgie
And George shall be hanged in the frames of gold
For the frames of gold you won't find many
But it's with it part with all I have got
If you'll spare me the life of my Georgie
For what has Georgie done on Shooter's Hill
Was it stealing or murder of any
Oh he stole sixteen of the lord judge's deer
And we sold them down under the valley
Wish you was stalled all in the grove
All in the grove standing ready
With bright guns in your hand and a sword at your side
I'd fight you for the life of my Georgie
Once I had such a good little boy
A pretty boy quick as any
He would run five miles in one half an hour
A letter to pardon my Georgie
The song "Georgie" by Martin Carthy tells the story of a young man, named Georgie, who has been caught stealing sixteen deer from the judge's land on Shooter's Hill. The singer, Georgie's mother or lover, begs for his pardon through the lyrics. The song is an exploration of the strong emotions that come with the threat of loss, and the complexities of morality and loyalty. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, expressing the intense feeling of desperation while the melody is melodic, capturing the beauty of the lyrics.
The singer expresses great pain, arguing that Georgie's death will not only mean the loss of life but also the destruction of a legacy of family significance. She describes Georgie's running ability, his handsome looks, and his ability to father babies. She begs for mercy, pleading with the judge to spare Georgie’s life, even with the knowledge that he broke the law. The ending of the song shows the singer contemplating violence to save Georgie's life.
This song is a beautiful ballad with deep emotion, striking melody and lyrics. It has been covered by numerous artists, including Shirley Collins and Pentangle. The origins of the song remain a mystery but it is presumed to have originated from the British Isles.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had such a good little boy
I had a good son, a charming boy
A pretty boy quick as any
A beautiful boy, quick like the wind
He would run five miles in one half an hour
Georgie was incredibly athletic, capable of running five miles within 30 minutes.
A letter to pardon my Georgie
Please pardon Georgie by means of a letter of forgiveness.
For what has Georgie done on Shooter's Hill
What has Georgie accomplished on Shooter's Hill?
Was it stealing or murder of any
Did he commit a burglary or murder?
Oh he stole sixteen of the lord judge's deer
Georgie stole sixteen deer belonging to the lord's judge.
And we sold them down under the valley
We sold them in the valley below.
Oh saddle em up cries my lily-white breast
My tender breast cries out to saddle up for action.
Oh saddle me up cries my pony
My horse calls out to saddle up for action.
With bright guns in his hand and a sword at his side
With sharp guns and swords on his person.
Would you spare me the life of my Georgie
Will you save the life of Georgie?
And Georgie's fathered six babes loved
Georgie fathered six loved children.
There's a seventh one into my body
I am currently pregnant with the seventh child.
But it's with it part with all I have got
I'm willing to give away everything I have.
If you'll spare me the life of my Georgie
As long as you save Georgie's life.
And George shall be hanged in the frames of gold
Georgie will be hanged on a gold frame.
For the frames of gold you won't find many
Golden frames are rare to come across.
Wish you was stalled all in the grove
I wish you were stationed in the grove.
All in the grove standing ready
Ready and willing in the grove.
I'd fight you for the life of my Georgie
I would fight for the life of Georgie.
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@karmadogma
This guy is living history. You Brits should treasure him.
@spoombung
Fabulous, flinty, minimal, unique style all of his own. Fantastic Rhythm and timing. Genius musician.
@sandramorey2529
He brings us older, more obscure variants of the child ballad, Geordie. His legacy is huge. His guitar work is legendary. He also brings us the history through the lyric. It is
from the time when poachers would be transported or hanged. Hungry people, but all the deer belonged to the Lord of that realm. Thanks for posting.
@darklingeraeld-ridge7946
Superb, unique ....at once the store of national treasure, and himself part of it. And the most wonderful guitar sound.
@bbgg71
This is one of the best things I've ever heard in my life
@stargazer6675
This comes from the soul.And stays with you.Real.Played by someone, who understands.Martin...That is truly sublime.
@mijbil49
I first saw him (1965 or so) at my local folk club, the Barley Mow, at the 3 Cranes pub in Sheffield. Now 45 years later, living in the Pacific NW, I find him on U Tube...better than ever. His music has brought such volume of joy into my life...My thanks to him! May he live and play forever!
@speleojazzer4414
I wonder if you'll get notified of this reply, 10 years later ? - The Barley Mow was our first introduction to live folk music and underage drinking 1968 onwards while we were still at school. Can't believe how influential that place was, we were rubbing shoulders with almost everyone who later became legends in their own right, Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty, Carthy and Swarb, Wizz Jones, Paul Brady with the Johnstones etc etc. A regular called Dave gave me the words to Dalesmans Litany just after I got my first guitar and 50 years later its still goes down better than most of the stuff I've learned since.
@robibm2003
There is no doubt that Martin is a giant. I discovered him in the early 1980's when I was first getting exposed to modern British Isles folk music and he just knocks me out. Him and Jansch are just great. His stuff has never been that easy to find here in American, unfortunately.
@DrStrangetrousers
The man is a genius. He does take his time to tune, but perhaps we should all be so careful with our instruments? ;) Cheers, Jon