Kerr came to prominence in the early 1990s via a musical partnership with fellow fiddle player Eliza Carthy. The duo produced two albums – Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr (1993)[5] and Shape of Scrape (1995)[6] – before ceasing to work together. A retrospective collection of their work (plus three previously unreleased tracks) – On Reflection – was released in 2002[7].[6]
Kerr and her mother released an album together – Neat and Complete – in 1996.[8]
Since 1995 Kerr has mostly worked in a duo with Australian bouzouki player and singer James Fagan,[9] whom she married in 2007. The duo won the Horizon Award at the inaugural BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2000, and Best Duo at the same awards in both 2003 and 2011[10] Between 1997 and 2008 they released six albums on the Fellside label – "Starry Gazy Pie" (1997), "Scalene" (with Sandra Kerr) (1998), "Steely Water" (1999), "Between The Dark and Light" (2002), "Strands of Gold" (2006) and "Station House" (with Robert Harbron) (2008).[11] 2010 saw the production their first completely original collection of songs – "Twice Reflected Sun", released 9 August 2010 on Navigator Records (NAV0041). First track of the album, Queen of Waters, was nominated for the Best Original Song category at the BBC Folk Awards in 2011.
In 2008 the duo joined forces with concertina player Robert Harbron to form the trio Kerr Fagan Harbron, recording and touring the album Station House (Fellside CD 211).
Kerr has also worked with folk/pop group Epona, Australian folk family band The Fagans and the Tim van Eyken band, amongst others.
In 2010 she joined James Fagan, Richard Arrowsmith and Jess Arrowsmith to form "Melrose Quartet" in her new home city of Sheffield. They released a live EP in 2011 called "Live at Cheltenham" and a studio album "Fifty Verses" in 2013.
2013 saw Kerr make up part of Fay Hield's "The Full English" band to promote the on-line publication of the folk collections of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in Cecil Sharp House. The collective won "Best Group" at the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and their CD "The Full English" won "Best Album" at the same ceremony.
In 2014 Kerr was one of the key songwriters in "The Elizabethan Session", a concert, CD and film[12] commissioned by Folk By The Oak and The English Folk Dance and Song Society creating new music about the Elizabethan era.
2014 saw Kerr release her first CD of original songs under her own name. Sweet Visitor was released on her own label Little Dish Records on 21 July 2014. A UK tour with "The Sweet Visitor Band" (James Fagan, Rowan Rheingans, Tom Wright and Tim Yates) started on 18 November 2014. James Fagan now shares his role in the band with Greg Russell.
Nancy Kerr won "Folk Singer of the Year" at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
2015 saw the launch of "Simpson Cutting Kerr", a trio with Kerr, Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting. Their debut CD "Murmurs" was released on Topic Records on 8 June 2015.
In November 2015, Kerr was one of four songwriters commissioned by Folk By The Oak and The English Folk Dance and Song Society to write and tour a production called "Sweet Liberties" looking at the history of British parliament and democracy. Their CD "Sweet Liberties" was released in 2016.[13]
2016 saw the production of Kerr's second album of original songs with The Sweet Visitor Band on Little Dish Records. The album, entitled "Instar", was produced by Tom Wright and was released on 16 September 2016.
Never Ever Lay Them Down
Nancy Kerr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet visitor we heard you say
There grows no grass
And none shall pass
Till some great day of judgement
Oh are we bound for glory
Born on a little fortune's way
Or are we bound for some dark town
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold
She shall not think of stalling
She's proud, proud, of every cloud
And will never ever lay them down
Love, love, the winds above
To blow towards your calling
Behold in dreams
Your true love stings
And never ever lay them down
Oh once I played the lover
To follow on a swallow's tail
And what I'd give for to relive
My days of being a rover
But wrapped in love's embraces
Like summer in a silken gown,
How could I pawn what we have sworn
Lay down your gold and silver
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold
She shall not think of stalling
She's proud, proud, of every cloud
And will never ever lay them down
Love, love, the winds above
To blow towards your calling
Behold in dreams
Your true love stings
And never ever lay them down
Do you see black beaks a gleaming
Did you ever see a magpie's wing
My love did drop those greedy birds
To fill our hearts with singing
Cast down by steel cathedrals
My lover is a fallen star
Who's spark shall stoke
This heart that broke
Held in his hand a beating
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold
She shall not think of stalling
She's proud, proud, of every cloud
And will never ever lay them down
Love, love, the winds above
To blow towards your calling
Behold in dreams
Your true love stings
And never ever lay them down
Kind eyes in trepidation
Whatever do you hear behold
Cold labour's done and nothing won
Grey stone around your children
But freedom's eyes are golden
And glitter like a silver crown
And none shall fear while love is here
Cast down in stony gardens
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold
She shall not think of stalling
She's proud, proud, of every cloud
And will never ever lay them down
Love, love, the winds above
To blow towards your calling
Behold in dreams
Your true love stings
And never ever lay them down
In the first verse of Nancy Kerr's "Never Ever Lay Them Down," she sings about a barren place where there's no grass, and no one can pass till some great day of judgment. This verse conjures images of a rocky wasteland that seems devoid of life, hope, and promise. However, it also suggests that there's a chance for redemption if one waits long enough for that fateful day. In the following verse, Kerr poses the question of whether we are bound for glory or some dark town with a great northern story. This line invokes a sense of uncertainty, asking whether our destiny is predetermined or a consequence of our actions.
In the chorus, Kerr repeats "cold, cold, the winter's hold" to describe the unforgiving nature of winter, which stands in stark contrast to the proud clouds that she cherishes. Kerr's admiration for the winds blowing towards one's calling highlights the importance of purpose and direction in one's life. In the final verse, she talks about the power of love to fill one's heart with singing and how a lover's embrace can be like summer in a silken gown. She compares a magpie's wing to the gleaming black beaks it carries, implying how easily one's prosperity and happiness can be stolen by the greedy.
The song's verses paint a vivid picture of a desolate landscape but with hope on the horizon. It's not easy to interpret the meaning of "Never Ever Lay Them Down" as it seems to have several layers of ideas that blend together to form a coherent yet complex piece of art. Perhaps the lyrics suggest that we can always persevere even in the bleakest of times and never let go of our hopes, dreams, and passions.
Line by Line Meaning
Cast down in stony gardens
Feeling low and hopeless
Sweet visitor we heard you say
Hope is on its way
There grows no grass
There's no hope
And none shall pass
No one will succeed
Till some great day of judgement
Until judgement day, when all will be revealed
Oh are we bound for glory
Is greatness our destiny?
Born on a little fortune's way
Born with a little bit of luck
Or are we bound for some dark town
Is failure inevitable?
And some great northern story
Is there a grand tale for us to live?
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold
Life is tough and harsh
She shall not think of stalling
We will press on, without hesitation
She's proud, proud, of every cloud
We take pride in our struggles
And will never ever lay them down
We will never give up
Love, love, the winds above
Love is the guiding force
To blow towards your calling
Leading you to your destiny
Behold in dreams
In our dreams
Your true love stings
Love hurts
And never ever lay them down
But we won't let it defeat us
Oh once I played the lover
I used to be a romantic
To follow on a swallow's tail
Pursuing fleeting happiness
And what I'd give for to relive
I long to go back
My days of being a rover
To my wandering days
But wrapped in love's embraces
Now that I'm in love
Like summer in a silken gown
I'm in a happy place
How could I pawn what we have sworn
I won't risk losing what we have
Lay down your gold and silver
Don't let material possessions come between us
Do you see black beaks a gleaming
Are you aware of the dangers lurking
Did you ever see a magpie's wing
Have you seen the beauty of nature
My love did drop those greedy birds
Love is more powerful than greed
To fill our hearts with singing
Love brings joy and happiness
Cast down by steel cathedrals
Feeling oppressed by the world
My lover is a fallen star
My partner has fallen from grace
Who's spark shall stoke
But who can still shine bright
This heart that broke
My broken heart
Held in his hand a beating
Is held by my love
Kind eyes in trepidation
Eyes full of fear, but still kind
Whatever do you hear behold
What do you see or hear?
Cold labour's done and nothing won
Worked hard, but gained nothing
Grey stone around your children
A bleak outlook for your kids
But freedom's eyes are golden
Freedom is priceless
And glitter like a silver crown
It shines bright, like a crown
And none shall fear while love is here
Love conquers all fears
Contributed by Hunter N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Torawakamaru
Lyrics, as heard and transcribed by me, for those that want them:
Cast down in stony gardens,
Sweet visitor we heard you say,
There grows no grass,
And none shall pass,
'Til some great day of judgement.
Oh, are we bound for glory,
Born on a little fortune's way,
Or are we bound,
for some dark town,
And some great northern story?
REFRAIN:
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold,
She shall not think of stalling,
She's proud, proud,
Of every cloud,
And will never ever lay them down.
Love, Love, the winds above,
Do blow towards your calling,
Behold in dreams,
Your truelove's schemes,
And never ever lay them down.
Oh, once I played the lover,
To follow on a swallow's tail,
And what I'd give
For to relive,
My days of being a rover.
But wrapped in love's embraces,
Like summer in a silken gown,
How could I pawn,
What we have sworn,
Lay down your gold and silver.
REFRAIN
Do you see black peaks a-gleaming,
Did you ever see a magpie's wing,
My love did rob,
Those greedy gods,
To fill our hearts with singing.
Cast down by steel cathedrals,
My lover is a fallen star,
Whose spark shall stoke,
This heart that broke,
Held in his hand a-beating.
REFRAIN
Kind eyes in trepidation,
Whatever do you here behold,
Bold labour's done,
And nothing won,
Grey stone around your children.
But freedom's eyes are golden,
And glitter like a silver crown,
And none shall fear,
While love is here,
Cast down in stony gardens.
REFRAIN
@njephcote1
The lyrics are included in the early part of the comments. I copied them, so here you go:Cast down in stony gardens,
Sweet visitor we heard you say,
There grows no grass,
And none shall pass,
'Til some great day of judgement.
Oh, are we bound for glory,
Born on a little fortune's way,
Or are we bound,
for some dark town,
And some great northern story?
REFRAIN:
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold,
She shall not think of stalling,
She's proud, proud,
Of every cloud,
And will never ever lay them down.
Love, Love, the winds above,
Do blow towards your calling,
Behold in dreams,
Your truelove's schemes,
And never ever lay them down.
Oh, once I played the lover,
To follow on a swallow's tail,
And what I'd give
For to relive,
My days of being a rover.
But wrapped in love's embraces,
Like summer in a silken gown,
How could I pawn,
What we have sworn,
Lay down your gold and silver.
REFRAIN
Do you see black peaks a-gleaming,
Did you ever see a magpie's wing,
My love did rob,
Those greedy gods,
To fill our hearts with singing.
Cast down by steel cathedrals,
My lover is a fallen star,
Whose spark shall stoke,
This heart that broke,
Held in his hand a-beating.
REFRAIN
Kind eyes in trepidation,
Whatever do you here behold,
Bold labour's done,
And nothing won,
Grey stone around your children.
But freedom's eyes are golden,
And glitter like a silver crown,
And none shall fear,
While love is here,
Cast down in stony gardens.
REFRAIN
@petehill8885
i met Nancy 200 years ago in London docklands, she was a shawl trader, i was a coal merchant.
@nevillelaybourne5610
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan terrific. Becoming a big fan.
@stevedable
Can't get this out of my head. So lovely. Keeps going on while riding my motorbike though country Australia. No traffic - really! Just this! Lovely. Thanks!
@what-do-you-feel
Hello! I don't know if you will see this, but I have to try, because I love your comment. I am starting a podcast in which I speak with strangers who adore the same songs that I do - like Never Ever Lay Them Down. If you are interested in speaking about your relationship with this song (and about yourself a tiny bit), I will be very happy to look for your reply here. Thank you!
@mikegoldberg5261
@@what-do-you-feel That sounds like an interesting podcast. I hope you can create it.
@poolieDW
Biking does that for you, if I feel down, I visit Dr Bonneville, 1 hour later I'm better, know what you mean about this music, beautiful.
@zarathushtra9564
Very extraordinary performance, very special... What a rich ancient tradition !!
@harryf200
Gorgeous. Wonderfully executed. (The harmonies are perfect.)
@theWildRover88
Singing and playing different notes on the fiddle at the same time - not easy! Great playing and a wonderful arrangement.
@Torawakamaru
Lyrics, as heard and transcribed by me, for those that want them:
Cast down in stony gardens,
Sweet visitor we heard you say,
There grows no grass,
And none shall pass,
'Til some great day of judgement.
Oh, are we bound for glory,
Born on a little fortune's way,
Or are we bound,
for some dark town,
And some great northern story?
REFRAIN:
And it's cold, cold, the winter's hold,
She shall not think of stalling,
She's proud, proud,
Of every cloud,
And will never ever lay them down.
Love, Love, the winds above,
Do blow towards your calling,
Behold in dreams,
Your truelove's schemes,
And never ever lay them down.
Oh, once I played the lover,
To follow on a swallow's tail,
And what I'd give
For to relive,
My days of being a rover.
But wrapped in love's embraces,
Like summer in a silken gown,
How could I pawn,
What we have sworn,
Lay down your gold and silver.
REFRAIN
Do you see black peaks a-gleaming,
Did you ever see a magpie's wing,
My love did rob,
Those greedy gods,
To fill our hearts with singing.
Cast down by steel cathedrals,
My lover is a fallen star,
Whose spark shall stoke,
This heart that broke,
Held in his hand a-beating.
REFRAIN
Kind eyes in trepidation,
Whatever do you here behold,
Bold labour's done,
And nothing won,
Grey stone around your children.
But freedom's eyes are golden,
And glitter like a silver crown,
And none shall fear,
While love is here,
Cast down in stony gardens.
REFRAIN