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'.
Rufford park poachers
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They was in a mess
They had often been attacked
When the number it was less
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
A buck or doe believe it so
A pheasant or a hare
Was put on earth for everyone
Quite equal for to share
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
All among the gorse to settle scores
These forty gathered stones
To make a fight for poor men's rights
And break those keeper's bones
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
The keepers come with flails
Against poachers and their cause
But no man there would dare
To break the rich man's laws
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
The keepers they began the fight
With stones and with their flails
When the poachers started why
They quickly turned their tails
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
All on the ground with a mortal wound
Head keeper Roberts lay
He never will rise up again
Till the final judgement day
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
Of all the band that made their stand
That set a little snare
Just four were brought before the court
And tried for murder there
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
The judge said "For Roberts' death
Transported you must be
To serve a term of fourteen years
In convict slavery"
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
A buck or doe believe it so
A pheasant or a hare
Was put on earth for everyone
Quite equal for to share
So poacher bold as I unfold
Keep up your gallant heart
And think about the poachers bold
That night in Rufford Park
The song "Rufford Park Poachers" by Martin Carthy tells the story of a group of poachers who gathered in Rufford Park to take on the gamekeepers who were preventing them from hunting game, such as deer, pheasants, and hares. The poachers believed that these animals were meant to be free for everyone to hunt and eat. The song describes the bravery of the poachers and their defiance against the wealthy landowners and their laws. The fight resulted in the death of the head keeper, Roberts, and the capture and transportation of four poachers, who were tried for murder.
The song is a protest against the elitist attitudes and laws that prohibited working-class people from hunting game for food. Carthy's lyrics tell the story of an uprising against this suppression and the fight against inequality. The song also highlights the consequences of fighting back against those in power, resulting in imprisonment and the loss of freedom.
The song was written in the early 19th century and has been covered by various artists throughout the years, including The Watersons, John Tams, and Nic Jones. It has become a traditional English folk song and is often performed at folk festivals and events. The lyrics have been adapted and changed by various artists, but the overall message and story remain the same.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that forty gallant poachers
There were forty brave poachers, according to the story
They was in a mess
They were in trouble or danger
They had often been attacked
They had faced opposition before
When the number it was less
When their group was smaller
So poacher bold as I unfold
Hey brave poacher, as I tell this story
Keep up your gallant heart
Stay courageous
And think about the poachers bold
Remember the daring poachers
That night in Rufford Park
Who stood up to injustice that night
A buck or doe believe it so
Believe it or not, a male or female deer
A pheasant or a hare
Or a pheasant or hare
Was put on earth for everyone
Were meant for everyone's use
Quite equal for to share
To be shared equally
All among the gorse to settle scores
The poachers gathered among the thorny bushes to settle a dispute
These forty gathered stones
They armed themselves with stones
To make a fight for poor men's rights
To fight for the rights of the less privileged
And break those keeper's bones
To harm the gamekeepers
The keepers come with flails
The gamekeepers arrived with flails (a type of weapon)
Against poachers and their cause
To oppose the poachers and their beliefs
But no man there would dare
No one was brave enough
To break the rich man's laws
To go against the laws made by the wealthy
The keepers they began the fight
The gamekeepers started the brawl
With stones and with their flails
Using stones and flails as weapons
When the poachers started why
As the poachers began fighting back
They quickly turned their tails
The gamekeepers retreated
All on the ground with a mortal wound
Head gamekeeper Roberts was fatally injured
He never will rise up again
He will never recover from his injuries
Till the final judgement day
Until the end of the world
Of all the band that made their stand
Of all the poachers who stood up
That set a little snare
That used a small trap to catch game
Just four were brought before the court
Only four were put on trial
And tried for murder there
And charged with murder
The judge said "For Roberts' death
The judge declared that due to Roberts' death
Transported you must be
The poachers must be sent away
To serve a term of fourteen years
To spend 14 years in prison
In convict slavery"
Doing forced labor as convicts
Contributed by Oliver M. 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....