Learning classical flute from an early age, and after a brief stint in the musical theatre programme at Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay, at age 19 Calderwood joined Súnas, an Australian Celtic folk group with founding members Mannie McAllister and Paul Brandon.
She released "As Night Falls" in 2011.
In 2013, she played flute and contributed vocals to The Waterboys.
In 2013, she performed Australia-wide with Paul Brandon of Súnas as an acoustic music duo called The Two Crows.
Subsequently, she formed an American/roots/blues band called RedCrow.
The Unquiet Grave
Sarah Calderwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soft falls the gentle rain.
I never had but one true love,
And in greenwood he lies slain.
I'll lose much for my true love
As any young girl may.
I'll sit and I'll mourn all on your grave
For twelve months and a day.
The ghost began to speak,
"Who is it that sits all on my grave
And will not let me sleep?"
‘Tis I, 'tis I, thine own true love
That sits all on your grave
I ask of one kiss from your sweet lips
And that is all I crave.
My lips they are as clay my love;
My breath is earthly strong.
And if you should kiss my clay cold lips,
Your time 'twould not be long.
Look down in the yonder garden fell
My love where we used to walk
The fairest flower that ever bloomed
Has withered unto the stalk
The stalk it has withered and dried my love
So will our hearts decay
So make yourself content my love
Til death calls you away
The Unquiet Grave by Sarah Calderwood is a hauntingly beautiful song that explores the themes of love, loss, and death. The lyrics describe a woman who has lost her true love and sits by his grave mourning for twelve months and a day. When the ghost of her beloved appears and asks for a kiss, she is willing to offer it despite the warning that his lips are cold and claylike, and it could mean the end of her life. The song ends with a message of acceptance, as the woman tells her love to make himself content until death calls him away.
The song captures the essence of grief and the depth of true love. The woman's willingness to risk her own life for a final kiss with her beloved shows the intensity of their relationship. The use of natural imagery, such as the cold wind and gentle rain, adds to the melancholy tone of the song. The lyrics are powerful and evoke a range of emotions, making it a popular choice for performances and covers by artists across the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold blows the wind upon my true love,
The weather is chilly as I think about my true love.
Soft falls the gentle rain.
The rain is light and gentle as I remember my true love.
I never had but one true love,
I only ever loved one person.
And in greenwood he lies slain.
He was killed and buried in the forest.
I'll lose much for my true love
I am willing to give up a lot for my true love.
As any young girl may.
This is how any young girl would feel.
I'll sit and I'll mourn all on your grave
I will sit and mourn at your grave.
For twelve months and a day.
I will mourn for a year and a day.
When the twelth month and a day had passed,
After a full year had gone by,
The ghost began to speak,
The ghost of my true love spoke.
"Who is it that sits all on my grave
"Who is sitting on my grave?
And will not let me sleep?"
"And won't let me rest?"
‘Tis I, 'tis I, thine own true love
"It's me, your true love."
That sits all on your grave
I've been sitting on your grave.
I ask of one kiss from your sweet lips
I want one last kiss from you.
And that is all I crave.
That's all I want.
My lips they are as clay my love;
My lips are stiff and cold like clay.
My breath is earthly strong.
My breath smells of death and the earth.
And if you should kiss my clay cold lips,
If you kiss my cold, stiff lips made of clay,
Your time 'twould not be long.
You will die soon after.
Look down in the yonder garden fell
Look to the garden below.
My love where we used to walk
Where we used to walk together.
The fairest flower that ever bloomed
The most beautiful flower that ever grew.
Has withered unto the stalk
Has died and withered to the base.
The stalk it has withered and dried my love
The stem has died and dried up, my love,
So will our hearts decay
Our hearts will also wither and die.
So make yourself content my love
Make yourself happy, my love,
Til death calls you away
Until you die and are called away.
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.