Original members were Norma Waterson, Mike Waterson, and Lal Waterson, with their cousin John Harrison from Kingston High School. They had a skiffle band in the early 1960s but moved on to playing more traditional material. They were briefly known as "The Folksons".
Their first album was Frost and Fire 1965 (awarded the "Melody Maker" Album of the Year, a rarity for a debut album) followed by The Watersons and A Yorkshire Garland in 1966. The Watersons split up in 1968 when Norma went to work as a disc jockey on a radio station on Montserrat.
The group reformed in 1972 with John Harrison briefly replaced by Bernie Vickers. He in turn was replaced the same year by Norma's husband, and respected folk singer in his own right, Martin Carthy. This lineup recorded For Pence and Spicy Ale (1975), Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy (1977), and Green Fields (1981).
Later lineups featured Mike Waterson's daughter Rachel Waterson, who briefly replaced Lal during a leave of absence caused by ill health in the mid-1980s, then continued to sing with the group on Lal's return.
Lal Waterson died in 1998 and by the early 1990s Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy had formed the group Waterson:Carthy.
The Watersons gradually ceased to sing live on a regular basis but the family occasionally reconvened for special events and festival appearances. The most recent of these were A Mighty River of Song at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 May 2007, the BBC Electric Proms concert Once in a Blue Moon: A Tribute to Lal Waterson at Cecil Sharp House in London on 25 October 2007 and 'A Tribute to Bert,' a concert celebrating the life and work of Albert Lloyd, at Cecil Sharp House on the 15th November 2008.
Country Life
The Watersons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing,
Merrily upon their laylums
And hurrah for the life of a country boy,
And to ramble in the new mowed hay.
In spring we sow at the harvest mow
but of all the times choose I may
I'd be rambling through the new mowed hay.
For I like to rise when the sun she rises,
early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing,
Merrily upon their laylums
And hurrah for the life of a country boy,
And to ramble in the new mowed hay.
In winter when the sky's gray
we hedge and ditch our times away,
but in summer when the sun shines gay,
We'd go ramblin' through the new mowed hay.
For I like to rise when the sun she rises,
early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing,
Merrily upon their laylums
And hurrah for the life of a country boy,
And to ramble in the new mowed hay.
The Watersons' "Country Life" is a jubilant celebration of the simple pleasures and joys of living in the countryside. The lyrics are a series of verses that express the singer's deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and the bounty it provides. The song opens with the singer expressing their love for rising with the sun and listening to the sweet melodies of the birds. The verses go on to describe the different activities that take place in each season, such as sowing in the spring and harvesting in the fall. However, the common thread throughout the song remains the singer's love for the countryside and all its wonders.
The song's refrain of "And hurrah for the life of a country boy, And to ramble in the new mowed hay" emphasizes the singer's strong connection to the land and their desire to be a part of it. The lyrics also touch upon the different kinds of work that are involved in living off the land, such as hedging and ditching in the winter. However, even during these times of hard work, the singer still finds joy in being outdoors and spending time in the fields.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to rise when the sun she rises, early in the morning
I enjoy waking up early in the morning with the rising sun
And I like to hear them small birds singing, Merrily upon their laylums
I love listening to the happy singing of the small birds
And hurrah for the life of a country boy, And to ramble in the new mowed hay.
I am proud of the simple and fulfilling life of a country boy and I find joy in walking through freshly mowed hay fields
In spring we sow at the harvest mow And that is how the seasons round they go but of all the times choose I may I'd be rambling through the new mowed hay.
During spring, we sow crops and during harvest, we reap them, and this cycle repeats every year, but my favorite time is walking through newly mowed hay fields
In winter when the sky's gray we hedge and ditch our times away, but in summer when the sun shines gay, We'd go ramblin' through the new mowed hay.
During winter, we work on maintaining hedges and digging ditches, but in summer when the sun shines brightly, we enjoy walking through the freshly cut hay fields
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DariusOfPersia
I like to rise when the sun, she rises
Early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing
Merrily upon their laylum
And hurrah for the life of a country boy
And to ramble in the new-mown hay
In spring we sow, at the harvest mow
And that is how the seasons, round they go
But of all the times, if choose I may
'Twould be rambling through the new-mown hay
For I like to rise when the sun, she rises
Early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing
Merrily upon their laylum
And hurrah for the life of a country boy
And to ramble in the new-mown hay
In winter, when the sky is gray
We hedge and we ditch our times away
But in the summer, when the sun shines gay
We go rambling through the new-mown hay
For I like to rise when the sun, she rises
Early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing
Merrily upon their laylum
And hurrah for the life of a country boy
And to ramble in the new-mown hay
@Loreman72
Who else is here because of the Emma soundtrack?
I love these harmonies so much! My daughter says the solo sounds like an old Sam Gamgee :)
@babyplayable
like wise
@onemorecast3913
Fantastic soundtrack!
@Stylz7
I didn't even watch the movie. I was gaming while the wife watched and has to ask what I was hearing. I was playing a Lord of the Rings game funny enough.
@kevinmeredith9625
I don't buy movie soundtracks, don't even notice the music most of the time. But this one just blew me away from the first couple of notes while I was watching Emma.
@elainerobinson7723
Me that’s why I’m here too. All the music felt so fresh and perfect, love the soundtrack to Emma
@davidluke333
The 60s folk revival gave us this beautiful reminder of pre-industrial England - we are long overdue another folk revival.
@watertower1
Interesting!
@gayezimhuycke
Oh… I wish.
@angelasmith5019
I mean there was one in the late 2000s? Like Johnny Flynn, Laura marling, Noah and the whales….