Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is a British recording artist, actres… Read Full Bio ↴Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is a British recording artist, actress, songwriter and dancer, largely credited for being a pioneer of Classical Crossover. She sings songs in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, and Mandarin.

Brightman has received over 180 Gold and Platinum sales awards in over 40 different countries around the world and is the only artist to hold #1 spots on the Billboard Classical and Dance charts simultaneously, her other achievements feature her ranking by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female classical artist of the twenty-first century and a Guinness World Record for the success of “Time to Say Goodbye,” the best-selling single in German recording history.

She has established herself as the world's biggest selling soprano of all time, She has sold 78 million albums worldwide, including 40 million copies of the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), 26 million albums, over two million DVDs and 10 million copies of the single " Time to Say Goodbye "as a soloist.

She made her debut as a dancer in troupes such as Hot Gossip and later released a string of disco singles. She was a musical theatre performer and partner of theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom she originated roles including Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera.

After her divorce, Brightman became a crossover artist with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson. Her style, a blend of classical vocals and pop-inspired instrumentation and arrangement, earned her further success.

She is often cited as the woman who paved the way for other international success stories such as Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. She is said to be worth as much as £30m (about US$49m).

Folk Song Arrangements: O can ye sew cushions?
Sarah Brightman Lyrics

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O can ye sew cushions and can ye sew sheets,
And can ye sing ballulow when the bairn greets?
And hie and baw, birdie, and hie and baw, lamb,
And hee and baw, birdie, my bonnie wee lamb.

Hie-o, wie-o what will I do wi' ye?
Black's the life that I lead wi' ye,
Many o'you, little for to gi' ye,

Hie-o, wie-o, what will I do wi' ye?

I've placed my cradle on yon hilly top,
And aye as the wind blew my cradle did rock.
O hush-a-by, babie, O baw lily loo,
And hee adn baw, birdie, my bonnie wee doo,

Hie-o, wie-o what will I do wi' ye?
Black's the life that I lead wi' ye,

Many o'you, little for to gi' ye,
Hie-o, wie-o, what will I do wi' ye?

Overall Meaning

In Sarah Brightman's version of "O Can Ye Sew Cushions," the lyrics are an ode to motherhood and the trials and joys that come along with it. The lyrics speak of typical maternal duties, such as sewing cushions and sheets, and calming a crying baby with a lullaby. The verse "Hie-o, wie-o what will I do wi' ye? Black's the life that I lead wi' ye, Many o'you, little for to gi' ye" seems to express the frustration that comes with the endless tasks of mothering and the challenges of providing for a large family. However, the following verse, where the mother sings to her baby, suggests that she finds solace in the simple joys of motherhood, such as singing to her child and rocking them to sleep.

Overall, this song is reminiscent of traditional Scottish lullabies, with its repetitive and soothing melody. It is a celebration of motherhood, with all its joys and challenges, and a nostalgic nod to the simple pleasures of parenting in a bygone era.

Line by Line Meaning

O can ye sew cushions and can ye sew sheets,
Can you sew cushions and can you sew sheets?

And can ye sing ballulow when the bairn greets?
And can you sing lullabies when the baby cries?

And hie and baw, birdie, and hie and baw, lamb,
And call for the birdie, and call for the lamb,

And hee and baw, birdie, my bonnie wee lamb.
And call for the birdie, my beautiful little lamb.

Hie-o, wie-o what will I do wi' ye?
Hey-o, why-o what will I do with you?

Black's the life that I lead wi' ye,
My life is dark with you,

Many o'you, little for to gi' ye,
Many of you with little to offer you,

Hie-o, wie-o, what will I do wi' ye?
Hey-o, why-o what will I do with you?

I've placed my cradle on yon hilly top,
I've put my cradle on that hilltop,

And aye as the wind blew my cradle did rock.
And every time the wind blew, my cradle rocked.

O hush-a-by, babie, O baw lily loo,
Oh, hush, baby, oh, lullaby,