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 Queen Of Hearts
Martin Carthy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To the queen of hearts he's the ace of sorrow
He's here today but he's gone tomorrow
Young men are plenty but sweethearts few
If my love leave me what shall I do?

Had I the store in yonder mountain
Where gold and silver is had for counting
I would not count for the heart of thee

Mine eyes so full I could not see

My father left me both house and land
And servants many at my command
At my commandment they ne'er shall be
I'll forsake them all and go with thee

To the queen of hearts he's the ace of sorrow
He's here today and he's gone tomorrow

Young men are plenty but sweethearts few
If my love leave me what shall I do?

Overall Meaning

In Martin Carthy's song "The Queen of Hearts," we hear a lament about the fleeting nature of love. The opening line "To the queen of hearts he's the ace of sorrow" sets the tone for the singer's fear of losing the one they love. Despite their feelings towards each other, he is only here for a brief moment before disappearing again. The lyrics "Young men are plenty but sweethearts few, if my love leave me, what shall I do?" suggest that love is difficult to find and even harder to hold onto. The singer is aware that they could lose their sweetheart at any moment, and when they do, they fear being left with nothing.

The second half of the song focuses on the singer's willingness to leave everything behind for love. They describe having wealth and status, but these things are meaningless without the person they love. They are willing to forsake their family and position to be with their sweetheart. The line "I would not count for the heart of thee, mine eyes so full I could not see" suggests that love has blinded the singer, causing them to make irrational decisions.

Overall, "The Queen of Hearts" offers a poignant commentary on love's impermanence and the sacrifices one makes for it. The singer's fear of loss, along with their willingness to give up everything, highlights the power and vulnerability that come with love.

Line by Line Meaning

To the queen of hearts he's the ace of sorrow
He is the one who brings sorrow to the queen of hearts

He's here today but he's gone tomorrow
He is here only for a short while

Young men are plenty but sweethearts few
There are many young men but few are true sweethearts

If my love leave me what shall I do?
What will I do if my love abandons me?

Had I the store in yonder mountain
If I had the wealth hidden in the mountain

Where gold and silver is had for counting
Where gold and silver can be counted and measured

I would not count for the heart of thee
I would not trade it for your heart

Mine eyes so full I could not see
My eyes are so full of you that I cannot see anything else

My father left me both house and land
My father left me both a house and land

And servants many at my command
And many servants at my disposal

At my commandment they ne'er shall be
But I am willing to forsake them all for you