1) Bluegras… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least 3 groups called The Country Gentleman
1) Bluegrass, Progressive Bluegrass, Country Gospel, Washington, DC, United States. 1957-
2) Pop Group, 1963-1967, Manchester, United Kingdom
3) Garage Rock, 1967, CA, USA
1.
Charlie Waller (January 19, 1935 – August 18, 2004) was the lead singer and guitarist for the legendary bluegrass band the Country Gentlemen. Waller was involved with the Country Gentlemen for 47 years. As a member of the Country Gentlemen, Waller was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1996.
The Country Gentlemen achieved fame across the United States and internationally. While more than 100 musicians have been Country Gentlemen, Waller was an original member of the group and has many famous songs to his credit. The band was scheduled to release a new album, Songs of the American Spirit, in September 2004.
Culled from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Waller
2.
Peter Cowap (guitar), Leo Laherty (drums), Nick Duvall (bass, 1963-66), Alan Doyle (rhythm guitar, 1963-64), Terry Morton (rhythm guitar, 1964-66), Rod Clare (bass, 1966-67), Geoff Foot (rhythm guitar, 1966-67), Frank Dwyer (keyboards, 1966-67)
3.
Made one 7', Saturday Night / For You - 1967.
One Morning In May
The Country Gentlemen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I spied a young couple; they were making their way
And one was a lady so bright and so fair,
And the other was a soldier, and a brave volunteer
Good morning, good morning, good morning, said he,
And where are you going my pretty lady,
I'm going out a walking by the banks of the sea,
Now they had not been standing but a minute or so
When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew
And the tune that he played made the valleys to ring
Oh hark, cried the maiden, hear the nightingales sing
Oh maiden, fair maiden, 'tis time to give o'er
Oh no, kind soldier, please play one tune more
For I'd rather hear your fiddle with the touch of one string
Than to see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing
Oh soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me?
Oh no, pretty maiden, that never shall be
I've a wife down in London and children twice three
Two wives and the army's too many for me
Well I'll go back to London and I'll stay there for a year
It's often that I'll think of you my little dear
And if ever I return it'll be in the spring
To see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing
Come dry up your tears, there is nothing to fear
I will roam these green valleys now for many's a long year
When the birds sang so sweet, this young man proved his deceit
Saying adieu, lovely fair maid, we will never more meet
With my snuff box and cane, this whole world I will range
Like Venus or Diana in search of her swain
When the moon shines so clear, I will mourn for my dear
Over mountains, clear fountains, where no one can hear
There's one thing that I know, and that before I go
I will never return for to hear her sad woe
There's another thing I know and that before I go
That the ranger and the stranger have many's the foe.
The Country Gentlemen's song "One Morning in May" tells the story of a chance meeting between a soldier and a young woman on a walk by the sea. The soldier takes out his fiddle and plays a tune, which impresses the woman, who asks him to play another. She then asks the soldier to marry her, but he declines, citing his responsibilities to his family in London and to the army. The soldier promises to return in the spring, but the woman knows he won't. The song ends with the woman mourning her lost love and the soldier wandering the world with his snuff box and cane, never to return.
The song, which genre-shifted to country music in the mid-twentieth century, originated in England in the 1800s as a popular tune with a variety of lyrics. The lyrics The Country Gentlemen recorded in 1962 focus specifically on the chance romantic encounter between the soldier and the young woman. The lilting melody and melancholic lyrics evoke the sense of lost love and missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
One morning, one morning, one morning in May,
The singer saw a young couple one morning in May.
I spied a young couple; they were making their way
The young couple was walking together.
And one was a lady so bright and so fair,
The young lady was beautiful.
And the other was a soldier, and a brave volunteer
The young man was a soldier who volunteered for service.
Good morning, good morning, good morning, said he,
The soldier greeted the young lady.
And where are you going my pretty lady,
The soldier asked where the young lady was going.
I'm going out a walking by the banks of the sea,
The young lady said she was taking a walk by the sea.
Just to see the waters roll and hear the nightingale sing.
She wanted to see the water and listen to the nightingale's song.
Now they had not been standing but a minute or so
They had only been there for a short time.
When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew
The soldier took out his fiddle from his knapsack.
And the tune that he played made the valleys to ring
The music he played was heard throughout the valleys.
Oh hark, cried the maiden, hear the nightingales sing
The young lady was impressed by the soldier's music.
Oh maiden, fair maiden, 'tis time to give o'er
The soldier asked the young lady to stop listening to his music.
Oh no, kind soldier, please play one tune more
The young lady wanted the soldier to play more music.
For I'd rather hear your fiddle with the touch of one string
She preferred the soldier's music to the sound of the water and nightingales.
Than to see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing
She preferred the soldier's music over the natural sights and sounds.
Oh soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me?
The young lady asked the soldier to marry her.
Oh no, pretty maiden, that never shall be
The soldier declined her proposal.
I've a wife down in London and children twice three
The soldier told her that he already had a wife and six children in London.
Two wives and the army's too many for me
He explained that having two wives while being in the army would be too much.
Well I'll go back to London and I'll stay there for a year
The soldier said that he would return to London for a year.
It's often that I'll think of you my little dear
He said that he would think of the young lady often.
And if ever I return it'll be in the spring
He said that he would return in the spring.
Come dry up your tears, there is nothing to fear
The soldier comforted the young lady.
I will roam these green valleys now for many's a long year
He said that he would travel through the green valleys for many years.
When the birds sang so sweet, this young man proved his deceit
The soldier was untruthful to the young lady.
Saying adieu, lovely fair maid, we will never more meet
The soldier said goodbye and they would never see each other again.
With my snuff box and cane, this whole world I will range
The soldier planned to explore the whole world with his snuff box and cane.
Like Venus or Diana in search of her swain
He wanted to search for someone he loved like Venus or Diana.
When the moon shines so clear, I will mourn for my dear
The soldier said he would mourn for the young lady under the clear moon.
Over mountains, clear fountains, where no one can hear
He planned to mourn her in mountains, clear fountains, and where no one could hear.
There's one thing that I know, and that before I go
He knows one thing before he leaves.
I will never return for to hear her sad woe
He will never return to hear the young lady's sorrow.
There's another thing I know and that before I go
He knows one more thing before he leaves.
That the ranger and the stranger have many's the foe.
He believes that both the ranger and stranger have many enemies.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, MITCHELL PARISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind