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'.

Ye Mariners All
Martin Carthy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ye mariners all, as ye pass by,
Come in and drink when you are dry.
Come spend, my lads, your money brisk,
And pop your nose in a jug of this.

Ye tipplers all, as ye pass by,
Come in and drink when you are dry.
Come spend, my lads, your money brisk,

And pop your nose in a jug of this.

Ye tipplers all, if ye've half a crown,
You're welcome all for to sit down.
Come in, sit down, think not amiss,
To pop your nose in a jug of this.

Oh now I'm old and can scarcely crawl,
I've a long grey beard and a head that's bald.
Crown my desire, fulfil my bliss,
A pretty girl and a jug of this.

Oh when I'm in my grave and dead,
And all my sorrows are past and fled,
Transform me then into a fish,
And let me swim in a jug of this.

Ye mariners all, as ye pass by,
Come in and drink when you are dry.

Come in, sit down, think nought amiss,
To pop your nose in a jug of this.

Overall Meaning

The song "Ye Mariners All" by Martin Carthy is an upbeat drinking song that invites all mariners and tipplers to come in and drink when they are dry. The song urges everyone to spend their money briskly and pop their noses into a jug of this alcoholic beverage. The verse 'Ye tipplers all, if you've half a crown, you're welcome all for to sit down' implies that even those with little money are welcome to come in and enjoy themselves.

The tone of the song takes a turn with the next verse, with the singer acknowledging that he is now old and can scarcely crawl, with a long gray beard and a bald head. He pleads for a pretty girl and a jug of this drink to crown his desire and fulfil his bliss. The final verse about swimming in a jug of this drink once he passes away is a humorous and whimsical ending to the song.

Overall, the song celebrates the joy of drinking and the camaraderie that comes with it, while also acknowledging the inevitability of aging and death.

Line by Line Meaning

Ye mariners all, as ye pass by,
Hey there, sailors passing by,

Come in and drink when you are dry.
Come on in and have a drink when you're thirsty.

Come spend, my lads, your money brisk,
Spend your money quickly, my friends,

And pop your nose in a jug of this.
Stick your nose in this jug of liquor.

Ye tipplers all, as ye pass by,
Hey there, drunkards passing by,

Ye tipplers all, if ye've half a crown,
If you have some money,

You're welcome all for to sit down.
You're welcome to sit and have a drink.

Come in, sit down, think not amiss,
Come on in and don't worry about a thing,

To pop your nose in a jug of this.
To stick your nose in this jug of booze.

Oh now I'm old and can scarcely crawl,
Now that I'm old and can barely move,

I've a long grey beard and a head that's bald.
I have a lengthy grey beard and a bald head.