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 Skewbald
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the bold Skewbald that noble racing pony
Arthur Marvel was the man who has brought the Skewbald over
He's a diamond in the land and he rolls around in clover
These horses were brought out with saddle, whip and bridle
And the gentlemen did shout when they saw the noble rider
And there's some did shout hooray as the air was thick with curses
Now the trumpet it did sound, they shot off like an arrow
Scarcely touched the ground where the going it was narrow
Then Griselda passed him by as the gentlemen did holler
"Oh, the grey will win the day and the Skewbald he will follow."
But halfway round the track up spoke the noble rider
"I fear we must fall back for she's going like a tiger."
Up spoke the noble horse, "Ride on, ride on, me master
For we're halfway round the track
And it's now we'll see who's faster."
So swiftly o'er the grass Skewbald flew like lightning
So swiftly o'er the grass that the grey mare she was taken
"Ride on, my noble horse, for the good two hundred guineas
Oh your saddle shall be of gold when we pick up our winnings."
Way past the winning post Skewbald won so handy
And horse and rider both called for sherry wine and brandy
And it's there they drank the health of the gallant Miss Griselda
And all who lost their money on the sporting plains of Kildare
The Skewbald is a traditional English tale that tells the story of a brave racing pony named Skewbald. Arthur Marvel is the man who brought Skewbald over; he's seen as a diamond among his peers and lives a glorious life. The horses were fitted with saddles, whips, and bridles, and there was much shouting from the gentlemen who saw this picturesque scene. Some were happy and shouted cheers, and others were angry and started cursing as the grey mare, Griselda, was revealed.
As the trumpet signals the start of the race, the horses shoot off like arrows, making scarcely a sound as they travel down the narrow path. Griselda took the lead early on, leaving Skewbald behind. However, halfway through the race, the rider of Skewbald spoke up, believing that they would not win since she was going so fast. Nonetheless, Skewbald spoke out to his master and encouraged him to keep going, and he ran so quickly that he passed Griselda in a matter of seconds. They won the race by a wide margin.
At the finish line, both the rider and horse claimed to be the winners and were rewarded with sherry wine and brandy. They drank to the health of Griselda, who had lost the race, as well as everyone else who had lost their money on the sporting plains of Kildare. The song is a joyful celebration of not just the thrill of the race but also the sportsmanship and acceptance that can arise from exciting athletic competitions.
Line by Line Meaning
You gallant sportsmen all, come listen to me story
Hey everyone who loves sport and play, pay attention to my tale
Of the bold Skewbald that noble racing pony
This is a story of the brave Skewbald, the magnificent racehorse
Arthur Marvel was the man who has brought the Skewbald over
Arthur Marvel was responsible for bringing Skewbald over here
He's a diamond in the land and he rolls around in clover
The horse is like an absolute treasure, roaming around in lush meadows
These horses were brought out with saddle, whip and bridle
The horses were presented with a saddle, a whip, and a bridle
And the gentlemen did shout when they saw the noble rider
The men cheered when they saw the brave rider
And there's some did shout hooray as the air was thick with curses
Some yelled with joy while others remained angry and frustrated
On the grey Griselda sportsmen laid their purses
The sportsmen bet their money on the grey mare named Griselda
Now the trumpet it did sound, they shot off like an arrow
The trumpet signal rang and they galloped away like arrows
Scarcely touched the ground where the going it was narrow
They barely touched the ground where the path was narrow
Then Griselda passed him by as the gentlemen did holler
Griselda overtook the Skewbald as the men shouted in excitement
"Oh, the grey will win the day and the Skewbald he will follow."
Everyone believed that Griselda would win and Skewbald would come second
But halfway round the track up spoke the noble rider
The rider spoke up as they reached halfway around the track
"I fear we must fall back for she's going like a tiger."
"I think we have to slow down because Griselda is running too fast."
Up spoke the noble horse, "Ride on, ride on, me master
The horse spoke up and encouraged its rider saying, "Don't give up, keep going, my master
For we're halfway round the track
And it's now we'll see who's faster."
We're halfway there, now let's see who's actually the fastest"
So swiftly o'er the grass Skewbald flew like lightning
Skewbald raced incredibly fast over the grass, like a lightning bolt
So swiftly o'er the grass that the grey mare she was taken
Skewbald was so fast that the grey mare, Griselda, couldn't keep up
"Ride on, my noble horse, for the good two hundred guineas
"Keep going, my brave horse, it's all for the prize of 200 guineas
Oh your saddle shall be of gold when we pick up our winnings."
When we win, we'll even get a saddle made of gold"
Way past the winning post Skewbald won so handy
Skewbald won very easily, passing the winning post with ease
And horse and rider both called for sherry wine and brandy
Both the horse and rider called for sherry wine and brandy to enjoy
And it's there they drank the health of the gallant Miss Griselda
While drinking, they toasted to the brave horse Griselda
And all who lost their money on the sporting plains of Kildare
And they laughed at all those who lost their bets there on the Kildare fields
Writer(s): David Swarbrick, Martin Carthy
Contributed by Jayce I. 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....