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'.
Virginny
Martin Carthy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come listen a while and I'll tell you
It's many's the young man myself I have seen
More fitting to serve than to die on a string
But how odd were the judges, how cruel they have been
For to send us poor lads to Virginny
Now when we come to Virginny, that cold shameful place,
Our captain did stand with his whip and his cane
To bargain for us poor souls out of hand
Like horses they yoked us that had ploughed the salt main
How hard was my fate in Virginny
O England, sweet England, I fear I'll never see you more
And if I do, it's ten thousand to twenty
For me fingers they are rotting and me bones they are sore
I wonder about I'm right down to death's door
But if I can just live to see seven years' more
I will soon bid farewell to Virginny
The lyrics in Martin Carthy's song Virginny depict the harsh reality faced by those who were sent to Virginia as indentured servants in the 17th century. The song speaks to the experiences of young men who were conscripted into service, often against their will, and sent to Virginia where they were subject to brutal treatment and harsh conditions. The lyrics describe the injustice of the judges who sent these young men away from home and the brutality they faced upon arriving in Virginia.
The song speaks to the struggles of those who were yoked together like horses, forced to plow the salt main, and subjected to the whims of cruel masters. The bleakness and hopelessness of the situation is palpable in lines such as "O England, sweet England, I fear I'll never see you more / And if I do, it's ten thousand to twenty." The harsh reality of life in Virginia is summed up in the final verse, where the singer longs to leave Virginia behind, even if it means waiting seven years to be released from their indenture.
Overall, the lyrics of Virginny are a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by those who were taken from their homes and sent to the New World, and the brutal realities of life as an indentured servant in colonial America.
Line by Line Meaning
Now come all you young fellers where'er you may be
Young men, wherever you are, please listen to my story
Come listen a while and I'll tell you
Please listen to me for a little while
It's many's the young man myself I have seen
I have seen many young men like myself
More fitting to serve than to die on a string
These young men were more deserving to serve than to die in a cruel punishment
But how odd were the judges, how cruel they have been
The judges were very unfair and cruel in their punishment
For to send us poor lads to Virginny
They sent us, poor boys, to Virginia as a punishment
Now when we come to Virginny, that cold shameful place,
When we arrived at Virginia, that sad and cold place
Which now I recall in my story
Which I remember as I tell my story
Our captain did stand with his whip and his cane
Our captain stood with a whip and a cane
To bargain for us poor souls out of hand
To sell us, poor souls, without thinking twice
Like horses they yoked us that had ploughed the salt main
They treated us like horses that had worked hard in the sea
How hard was my fate in Virginny
My fate in Virginia was extremely difficult
O England, sweet England, I fear I'll never see you more
Oh England, my beloved country, I fear I'll never see you again
And if I do, it's ten thousand to twenty
And even if I do, it's highly unlikely
For me fingers they are rotting and me bones they are sore
My fingers are decaying and my bones ache
I wonder about I'm right down to death's door
I am wondering if I am already at the door of death
But if I can just live to see seven years' more
But if I can survive for seven more years
I will soon bid farewell to Virginny
I will soon say goodbye to Virginia
Contributed by Charlie C. 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....