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'.

The Bonny Hind
Martin Carthy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

May she comes and May she goes
Down the garden green,
There she spied this sweet young boy,
Sweetest ever she's seen.

May she comes and May she goes
Down the Holland green,
There she spied this sweet young boy,

Sweetest ever she's seen.

"Give to me your mantle darling,
Give me your maidenhead;
If you won't give me your mantle darling,
Give me your maidenhead."

Ta'en her by her hand, her hand,
So gently laid her down;
Soon as she rose up again
He give her the silver comb.

"Oh maybe there will be babies so
And maybe there will be none,
But since you are a gentleman
Oh tell to me your name."

"No I am no gentleman
But am newly come from sea;
No I am no courtier darling
But well I courted thee.

Sometimes they call me Jack," he said,
"And sometimes they call me John.
But when I'm in my father's house
It's Randall is my name."

"Now you lie you false young man,
So loud you lie to me.
I am Randall's only daughter
And he has none but me."

"Ah you lie, you foolish girl,
So loud you lie to me.
I am Randall's only son
Newly come from the sea."

Oh she reached down below her waist
And she has pulled out a knife;
She has let her own heart's blood
And taken her own sweet life.

And he's picked up his young sister
With a big tear in his eye,
For he has buried his only sister
Beneath the Holland tree.

Then it's up the hill and it's down the hill,
His own father to see,
Crying, "Oh and oh for my bonny hind
Beneath the Holland tree."

"What care you for your bonny hind,
For her you need not care.
We've eight score hinds in yonder park
And five score is to spare.

Four score of these are silver shod,
Of these you may have three."
"But it's oh and oh for my bonny hind
Beneath the Holland tree."

"What care you for your bonny hind,
For her you need not care.
Take you the best and leave me the worst,
For plenty is to spare."

"Oh I care not for your hinds, father,
I care not for your fee.
But it's oh and oh for my bonny hind
Beneath the Holland tree."

"Son get you to your sister's bower,
Your sweet young sister to see.

You'll think no more of your bonny hind
Beneath the Holland tree."

Overall Meaning

The Bonny Hind is a ballad that tells a story of two lovers, a young man and a young woman, who meet in a garden. The two are struck by each other, and the young woman asks the young man for his mantle, which he refuses to give unless she consents to giving him her maidenhead. The young woman acquiesces, but as soon as they finish, she demands to know his name. He tells her he's not a gentleman but has courted her well, and they part ways.

The young woman later discovers that the man she slept with is not who he said he was, and he has lied to her about his identity. Filled with rage and heartbreak, she takes her own life by stabbing herself with a knife. The young man discovers her body and buries her under a tree. He goes to his father, telling him he's lost his "bonny hind" and doesn't care for anything else. His father tries to offer him solace by giving him other hinds, but he refuses and goes back to mourn his loss.

The lyrics of the Bonny Hind carry a lot of emotion and depict a tragic love story. The song explores themes of betrayal, heartbreak, and loss. The young woman gives herself to the young man, only to discover that he lied to her about his identity. This deception leads to her death, which is a tragic end for their love.

Line by Line Meaning

May she comes and May she goes Down the garden green, There she spied this sweet young boy, Sweetest ever she's seen.
She wanders casually in and out of the garden, noticing a particularly attractive young man who catches her eye.

"Give to me your mantle darling, Give me your maidenhead; If you won't give me your mantle darling, Give me your maidenhead."
He propositions her with a choice of either giving him her clothing or her virginity.

Ta'en her by her hand, her hand, So gently laid her down; Soon as she rose up again He give her the silver comb.
He gently takes her hand and lays her down, rewarding her with a silver comb once they're finished.

"Oh maybe there will be babies so And maybe there will be none, But since you are a gentleman Oh tell to me your name."
She speculates about the possibility of having children with him, asking for his name since he seems like a gentleman.

"No I am no gentleman But am newly come from sea; No I am no courtier darling But well I courted thee.
He denies being a gentleman or a courtier, but admits to being a skilled suitor despite just arriving from the sea.

"Sometimes they call me Jack," he said, "And sometimes they call me John. But when I'm in my father's house It's Randall is my name."
He reveals that he goes by the names Jack or John, but his real name is Randall when at home with his father.

"Now you lie you false young man, So loud you lie to me. I am Randall's only daughter And he has none but me."
She accuses him of lying about being Randall's son, as she is Randall's only daughter and he has no other children.

"Oh you lie, you foolish girl, So loud you lie to me. I am Randall's only son Newly come from the sea."
He insists that she is the one lying, and that he is in fact Randall's son who recently returned from the sea.

Oh she reached down below her waist And she has pulled out a knife; She has let her own heart's blood And taken her own sweet life.
She takes out a knife and commits suicide by stabbing herself in the heart.

And he's picked up his young sister With a big tear in his eye, For he has buried his only sister Beneath the Holland tree.
He sadly carries his deceased sister, who was also the girl he was involved with, and buries her under the Holland tree.

Then it's up the hill and it's down the hill, His own father to see, Crying, "Oh and oh for my bonny hind Beneath the Holland tree."
He goes to see his father and mourns for his beloved sister who is buried under the Holland tree.

"What care you for your bonny hind, For her you need not care. We've eight score hinds in yonder park And five score is to spare.
His father questions his concern for his sister, suggesting that they have plenty of other hinds and do not need to worry.

Four score of these are silver shod, Of these you may have three." "But it's oh and oh for my bonny hind Beneath the Holland tree."
His father offers him three of the best hinds that are shod in silver, but he remains fixated on his beloved sister who is buried under the Holland tree.

"Oh I care not for your hinds, father, I care not for your fee. But it's oh and oh for my bonny hind Beneath the Holland tree."
He disregards his father's offers and reiterates that he only cares about his sister who is buried under the Holland tree.

"Son get you to your sister's bower, Your sweet young sister to see. You'll think no more of your bonny hind Beneath the Holland tree."
His father implores him to visit his sister's chamber and see her one last time, hoping that it will help him move on from her death.

Contributed by Bailey V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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