The obituary in the UK's "The Independent" newspaper for Tony Rose said "A beautifully relaxed interpreter of traditional song, with rare warmth and intimacy, Tony Rose made an indelible mark on the British folk scene. Emerging during the 1970s when folk clubs were still a force to be reckoned with, he was wholly committed to the grass roots scene, eschewing the seemingly sexier terrain of folk rock bands, modern song and political material that seduced so many of his contemporaries.
He loved traditional music and while it never brought him riches – indeed he returned to his first job as a teacher when the folk clubs themselves hit a recession in the late 1980s – he saw no reason to deviate widely from it. Accompanying himself on guitar and English concertina, he established an easy style that was instantly identifiable, putting him on a par with such giants of the era as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.
Born in Exeter in 1941, Rose was smitten by folk song at Oxford University in the early 1960s, where he had won a scholarship to study Modern Languages at Queen's College. He first heard the British folk pioneers Louis Killen, Shirley Collins, Alex Campbell and Johnny Handle at the university's Heritage Society. He was also profoundly influenced by another West Country singer, Cyril Tawney, the ex-Navy man turned songwriter. Rose cut his musical teeth at his local folk club, the Jolly Porter in Exeter, where he became an occasional member of the resident band the Journeymen.
He moved to London to become a teacher in 1965 but, offered more and more gigs on the burgeoning folk scene, he became a professional singer in 1969. His first album, Young Hunting, in 1970 had a huge impact, mixing West Country songs like "The Bellringing" and "Tavistock Goosey Fair" with comic ditties and testing ballads like "Golden Vanitee" and "Blackwater Side".
With his rich, lyrical voice, a repertoire of largely unfamiliar material and erudite introductions, the long-haired Rose swiftly became an important member of the second wave of the folk revival. The subsquent albums Under The Greenwood Tree in 1971 (with more complex arrangements and also involving Dolly Collins and Peter Knight) and On Banks Of Green Willow in 1976 enhanced his reputation further. On Banks Of Green Willow particularly confirmed his status as a great singer, tackling epic ballads like "The Bonny Hind", "Lord Randall" and "Fanny Blair". Of all his recorded work this was his tour de force.
In the late 1970s he formed a folk "supergroup", Bandoggs, with Pete and Christine Coe and his close friend Nic Jones, in which Rose played, among other things, mouth organ and performed a storming version of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song". Despite acclaimed live work, the group suffered financial and logistical problems, and split up without recording.
Rose returned to his solo career, releasing the 1982 album Poor Fellows (the title track was drawn from Peter Bellamy's groundbreaking folk opera The Transports). This encompassed contemporary song for the first time with thoughtful arrangements of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather" and Richard Thompson's "Down Where The Drunkards Roll". While the album also featured traditional material like "The Yarmouth Tragedy" and "Clerk Saunders", Rose's sense of the absurd was illustrated by the inclusion of his grave interpretation of the kitsch pop standard "The Three Bells," a song he was even occasionally prevailed upon to sing in French as an encore at gigs.
But as the folk scene constricted, artists relying exclusively on the club circuit struggled and Rose ultimately returned to teaching. However, he remained a familiar figure on the scene, gigging occasionally and regularly turning up at West Country folk events such as the Padstow May Day celebrations and Sidmouth Folk Festival. He also worked as a folk journalist.
In 1999 he retired from teaching and made an unlikely return with a new album, Bare Bones, released on his own Boneshaker label, which largely featured new versions of old songs no longer available. Sounding as good as he ever did, he was still easing himself back into the circuit when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. He died in June 2002."
He recorded several LPs for the Trailer label in the 1970s, which outrageously have remained unavailable since Trailer's bankruptcy.
Blackwaterside
Tony Rose Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down by Blackwaterside.
And in gazing all around me
'Twas the Irish lad I spied.
All for the first part of that night
We two did sport and play,
Then that young man arose and gathered up his clothes,
Oh, that's not the promise that you gave to me
When you lay upon my breast,
For you made me believe with your lying tongue
That the sun rose in the west.
Go home, go home, to your father's garden,
Go home and cry your fill.
And think on your misfortunes
And that you brought with your wanton will.
For there's not one girl in this wide world
So easily led as I,
Oh, the fishes will fly and the seas will run dry,
Sure it is then you'll marry I.
One evening fair I took the air
Down by Blackwaterside.
And in gazing all around me
'Twas the Irish lad I spied.
The song Blackwaterside by Tony Rose narrates a story of a fair lady who takes a walk down by Blackwaterside and encounters an Irish lad. They spend the first part of the night together, but then the young man gets up to leave. The lady is upset because he did not keep his promise to her, and he reminds her of her misfortune and the consequences of her wantonness. Despite their disagreement, the lady returns to Blackwaterside later and sees the Irish lad again.
The underlying message of this song is about the power dynamics of relationships and the aftermath of unfulfilled promises. The lady's vulnerability is highlighted as she falls for the Irish lad's deceptive promises. However, the Irish lad doesn't see the gravity of his actions and disregards the lady's feelings. The song also touches on the consequences of one's actions and how loneliness is inevitable if one chooses to live a reckless life.
Line by Line Meaning
One evening fair I took the air
I went for a walk one pleasant evening
Down by Blackwaterside.
I walked by the river Blackwaterside
And in gazing all around me
While looking around me
'Twas the Irish lad I spied.
I saw an Irish man
All for the first part of that night
For the beginning of the night
We two did sport and play,
We spent time playing together
Then that young man arose and gathered up his clothes,
The young man got up and got dressed
Saying, "Fair lady, well a-day."
The man said farewell to the woman
Oh, that's not the promise that you gave to me
You didn't keep the promise you made to me
When you lay upon my breast,
When we were intimate
For you made me believe with your lying tongue
You deceived me with your dishonest words
That the sun rose in the west.
You made me believe something impossible
Go home, go home, to your father's garden,
Go back to your home and family
Go home and cry your fill.
Go home and cry your heart out
And think on your misfortunes
Reflect on the unfortunate things that have happened to you
And that you brought with your wanton will.
Caused by your reckless and careless behavior
For there's not one girl in this wide world
There's no girl in the world
So easily led as I,
Who can be easily fooled like me
Oh, the fishes will fly and the seas will run dry,
Something impossible will happen
Sure it is then you'll marry I.
Only then you'll marry me
One evening fair I took the air
I went for a walk one pleasant evening
Down by Blackwaterside.
I walked by the river Blackwaterside
And in gazing all around me
While looking around me
'Twas the Irish lad I spied.
I saw an Irish man
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@masazivkovic1216
One evening fair to take the air
Down by Blackwater side
It was gazing all, all around me
Towards the Irish lad I spied
All through the first part of that night
Well, we lie in sport and play
Then this young man, he arose and gathered his clothes
He said, "Fare thee well today"
Well, that's not the promise that you gave to me
When first you lay on my bed
You could make me believe with your lying tongue
That the sun rose in the west
Then go home, go home to your father's garden
You go home and weep your fill
And you think of your own misfortune
That you brought with your wanton will
For there's not a girl in this whole world wide
As easily led as I
Sure, it's fishes they'll fly and the seas run dry
Tis then you'll marry I
@lydiaward243
One morning fair,
To take the air
Down by Blackwaterside,
'Twas in gazing all,
All around me;
'Twas the Irish lad I spied.
All through the forepart of the night,
Well, we lay in sport and play.
Then, this young man, he arose
And he gathered his clothes;
He said "Fare thee well, today."
Well, that's not the promise
That you gave to me,
When first you lay on my bed.
You could make me believe,
With your lying tongue,
That the sun rose in the west.
"Then go home, go home
To your father's garden.
You go home, and weep your fill!
And you think of your own misfortune,
That you brought with your wanton will."
For there's not a girl,
In this whole wide world,
As easily led as I.
Sure, it's fishes, they'll fly,
And the seas run dry,
'Tis then he'll marry I.
@planetprince67
A complete transport away from where you sit listening. Time stands still. Incredible.
@danholliday5564
I'm obsessed by this. The purest, most haunting voice I ever heard.
@haroldwalton932
The greatest version of this song. Sung by the incomparable Anne Briggs.
@Tadhg64
For as much as I love and follow Irish/British/Celtic music, I've never heard of Anne Briggs until finding out about her after Davey Graham died. Turns out she was extremly influential to not just Celtic music but British rock music in general. I don't know how I missed her but I'm glad I found her. :)
@jonibernstein9047
my god -i have nonstop chills. feels like EIRE. her voice is absolute perfection.
@bondmatty
I have long been an admirer of Anne's. Lovely, pure, captivating and unpretentious. No unnecessary or distracting embelishments. Just sung straight and sweet. Quite brilliant. Thank you for posting this.
@hoveybrock459
Agreed with all she has an absolutely compelling voice. A vibratoless soprano, all natural. Stunning.
@lyrensutz
This must be one of the greatest recordings of this song!
@helendell6839
THE greatest? I think so!
@humblehorace6392
Or greatest songs ever.