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'.
John Blunt
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blunt it was their name o.
They had good beer and ale good to sell
And it bore a wonderful fame o.
John Blunt and his wife they drank of the drink
Till they could drink no more o;
They both got tired and they went up to bed
So they a bargain, bargain made,
Made it strong and sure o:
The first of them should speak the first word
Should get up and bar the door o.
So there came travellers, travellers three,
Travelling in the night o.
No house, no home, no fire had they,
Nor yet no candlelight o.
They went to his cellar, they drank up his drink
Till they could drink no more o;
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door o.
They went to his larder, they ate up his food
Till they could eat no more o;
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door o.
They went upstairs, they went to his room,
They broke down the door o;
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door o.
They hauled his wife all out of the bed,
Laid her out on the floor o;
Then up got poor John Blunt in his bed
For he could stand no more o.
Said, "You've eaten my food and drunk all my drink,
Laid her out on the floor o."
"You spoke the first word John Blunt, she said,
So go down and bar the door o."
The song "John Blunt" is a narrative about an elderly couple who live under a hill and sell good beer and ale. The story goes that after drinking too much of their own brew, John Blunt and his wife forgot to secure their door before retiring for the evening. Soon after, three travellers stumbled upon their home in search of a warm fire and food, and they helped themselves to the couple's cellar and larder. The travellers eventually made their way upstairs and broke down the door to John Blunt's bedroom. Despite the intrusion, the couple remained quiet because of the earlier agreement that whichever of them spoke first must get up and bar the door. It wasn't until the travellers laid John Blunt's wife out on the floor that he broke his silence and confronted them. The song ends with John's wife reminding him that he was the first to speak, so he must also be the one to bar the door.
At first glance, the lyrics of "John Blunt" may seem straightforward, but there are several possible interpretations. One possible meaning is that the song highlights the importance of trust and dedication in a relationship. The agreement that John and his wife made about barring the door shows their mutual dependency and devotion to each other. Additionally, the fact that they remained silent even when faced with danger implies an unspoken understanding between them.
Another interpretation is that the song is a cautionary tale about the consequences of overindulgence. John Blunt and his wife's drunkenness leaves them vulnerable to strangers, who take advantage of their vulnerability. The story warns against the dangers of excess and reminds us to be wary of our surroundings, even in the safety of our own homes.
Line by Line Meaning
There was an old couple lived under the hill,
A certain old couple lived beneath a hillock.
Blunt it was their name o.
Their surname was Blunt.
They had good beer and ale good to sell
They sold excellent beer and ale.
And it bore a wonderful fame o.
Their beverages were famous and well-regarded.
John Blunt and his wife they drank of the drink
John Blunt and his wife drank the beer and ale.
Till they could drink no more o;
They drank until they could drink no longer.
They both got tired and they went up to bed
They grew tired and retired to their bed.
But forgot to bar the door o.
They forgot to secure the door.
So they a bargain, bargain made,
They made a deal.
Made it strong and sure o:
It was a firm agreement.
The first of them should speak the first word
The first person to speak would have to act.
Should get up and bar the door o.
They had to get up and lock the door.
So there came travellers, travellers three,
Three travellers arrived.
Travelling in the night o.
They were travelling at night time.
No house, no home, no fire had they,
They had no place to stay and no warmth.
Nor yet no candlelight o.
They had no light source.
They went to his cellar, they drank up his drink
They went to the couple's cellar and drank their beverages.
Till they could drink no more o;
They drank until they could not consume anymore inebriants.
But never a word did the old couple speak
The elderly couple didn't utter a single syllable.
For fear who should bar the door o.
As they were worried about who would bar the door.
They went to his larder, they ate up his food
The travellers then went to the couple's pantry and ate their food.
Till they could eat no more o;
They ate until they could eat no more.
But never a word did the old couple speak
The old couple still didn't say anything.
For fear who should bar the door o.
Because they were still concerned about who would lock the door.
They went upstairs, they went to his room,
The travellers proceeded to the couple's room.
They broke down the door o;
They forcibly opened the door.
But never a word did the old couple speak
The couple remained silent.
For fear who should bar the door o.
Due to their worry about locking the door.
They hauled his wife all out of the bed,
The travellers removed John Blunt's wife from her resting place.
Laid her out on the floor o;
They put her on the ground.
Then up got poor John Blunt in his bed
John Blunt, feeling unwell, arose from his bed.
For he could stand no more o.
He had reached his limit.
Said, "You've eaten my food and drunk all my drink,
John Blunt chastised the travellers for consuming all of his supplies.
Laid her out on the floor o."
He cited the fact that they had done this to his wife.
"You spoke the first word John Blunt, she said,
His wife noted that he was the first to talk.
So go down and bar the door o."
Thus he ought to lock the door as per their agreement.
Contributed by Isaiah A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Harrington
Nice. I like the petite reprise you put on the refrain.