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Just As the Tide Was Flowing
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Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing
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Just As the Tide Was Flowing
Just As the Tide Was Flowing
[
Roud 1105
; Ballad Index GrMa066
; VWML GG/1/6/349
, HAM/2/1/27
; Bodleian
Roud 1105
; Wiltshire
359
, 360
; Mudcat 8248
; trad.]
Folk Songs collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Traditional Tunes
Harry Cox sang Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing in a BBC recording supervised by E.J. Moeran in The Windmill, Sutton, Norfolk, on 18 December 1945. It was published on BBC 17231 and in 1998 on the Topic anthology We've Received Orders to Sail (The Voice of the People Series Vol. 12).
Stephen Baldwin played Just As the Tide Was Flowing as a Morris Dance tune with the Travelling Morris in the primary school at Bishop Upton, Herefordshire, 22 June 1954. This was published in 1976 on his Leader album English Village Fiddler and in 1998 on the Topic anthology As Me and My Love Sat Courting (The Voice of the People Series Vol. 15).
Shirley Collins learned a fragment of this song from her aunt Grace Wingorn and recorded it four times, each with very similar words: The first time in 1959 for her second LP, False True Lovers, and the second time in 1967 for her album The Power of the True Love Knot. The latter version was also included in her compilation The Classic Collection. The third and best known version is with the Albion Country Band on their 1971 album No Roses, on her 1974 anthology A Favourite Garland, and on the two compilations Rave On and The Greater Antilles Sampler. A live recording from Shirley and Dolly Collins made in London in 1979 was published in 1998 on Harking Back in 1998. Additionally, the first, third and the live recording were included in 2002 on Shirley Collins' 4 CD anthology Within Sound.
Shirley Collins commented in the No Roses sleeve notes:
This is a fragment from my Aunt Grace [Grace Winhorn, Hastings] that she sang to my sister and me when we were children. To my amazement and amusement it was covered by the American group 10,000 Maniacs. I like their version—it's very much like mine, so I've got to!
Sam Larner of Winterton, Norfolk, sang Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing to Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1958-60. This recording was included in 2014 on his Musical Traditions anthology Cruising Round Yarmouth. Rod Stradling commented in the accompanying booklet:
A song published on a broadside before 1839, and known only in southern England (except for three Canadian examples) according to Roud, who lists 73 instances, including 21 named singers. I like Sam’s knowing “Show me the man that won’t do so,” in the final verse—not a line I’ve heard before.
Peggy Seeger sang two verses of Just As the Tide Was Flowing on her and Tom Paley's 1964 Topic album, Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot?. She noted:
There doesn’t seem to be a fully assimilated text of this song in print, other than the four verses given by Frank Kidson in Traditional Tunes. Kidson claims it is of broadside origin. Only fragments have been collected in oral tradition, chiefly in Southern England, and it is hardly reported from America. The two verses here are from Newfoundland.
Peter Bellamy recorded Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing for his 1968 album Mainly Norfolk. He noted:
From Harry Cox also comes this version of Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing. This is (to me) the most complete text and most beautiful melody of the several versions in existence.
Tony Rose sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 1971 LP Under the Greenwood Tree (with Dolly Collins playing her flute-organ on this album too though not on this track). His version has one more verse than the other versions listed below. Tony Rose noted:
Just As the Tide Was Flowing seems to have been a tremendously popular song with traditional singers in the South of England. Its appeal lies in the fine tune and a somewhat unusual story line. Among the scores of returning sailors celebrated in song, this must surely have been one of the most fortunate in meeting such a generous young lady.
Robin and Barry Dransfield recorded Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 1971 for their Trailer album Lord of All I Behold.
Tim Laycock sang Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing on the 1976 fundraiser album The Second Folk Review Record. According to the sleeve notes it was
Another song from the Hammond collection, collected in Dorset and printed in Marrow Bones.
The Ripley Wayfarers sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 1976 Traditional Sound album Gentlemen of High Renown.
Brian Osborne sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 1976 Traditional Sound album Ae Fond Kiss. He noted:
Singers seem to have a high regard for this song. The tune, one of the finest in the English tradition, is known as The Blue Eyed Stranger, and was adopted by Morris musicians in the late 18th or early 19th century.
Derek Sarjeant and Hazel Kink sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 1976 on their album Hills & Dales.
Tony Hall, accompanied by Nic Jones on fiddle, sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 1977 on his Free Reed album Fieldvole Music. This track was also included on the Free Reed anthology This Label Is Not Removable.
Danny Spooner sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 1986 album I Got This One From…. He noted:
When I first went to sea I worked on ah Thames sailing barge. My old skipper Bob Roberts taught me many good songs including Just As the Tide Was Flowing. He was a smashing bloke with a great love of life and of the sea, which he passed on to me through his teaching. I was very sad to hear of his death in 1982, but fortunately he was recorded and is well worth hearing.
Brian Peters and Gordon Tyrrall sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 1996 on their Harbourtown album Clear the Road. They noted:
A chance meeting, an amorous coupling, and mutual satisfaction—a postmodern moralist's nightmare. The unusual and sensual melody was collected by Vaughan Williams in Kings Lynn and reproduced in one of Roy Palmer's excellent song books.
Magpie Lane sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on 1998 on their Beautiful Jo album Jack-in-the-Green.
Mick Ryan and Pete Harris sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on their 1999 WildGoose CD Hard Season. They noted:
One of the most beautiful of traditional English songs. The description of the girl has always seemed particularly fine to Mick.
Like Peter Bellamy, Eliza Carthy learned Just As the Tide Was Flowing from the singing of Harry Cox. She recorded it in 2002 for her CD Anglicana. She sang and played her octave violin and was accompanied by Ben Ivitsky on viola and Tim van Eyken playing melodeon and guitar.
Jon Boden, who used to play this song with Eliza and the Ratcatchers, sang it as the 1 June 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He noted in the blog:
We used to do a string-tastic version with the Ratcatchers. This is fairly similar to Liza’s for pace (I think it’s more often done as a jaunty fast number but it works both ways.)
Dave Bordeway & Dave Young sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 2005 on their WildGoose CD Beer and Black Pudding. They noted:
We learned this song from the book Marrow Bones which states: “On of the finest tunes in the English tradition” and that “There is little variation in both tune and words, in different collections.” The tune was apparently adapted by Morris musicians and became known as The Blue-Eyed Stranger.
Megson sang Just As the Tide in 2006 on their eponymous CD Megson.
Steeleye Span sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing in 2009 on their CD Cogs, Wheels and Lovers. Another recording from their spring tour 2011 was included in the same year on their album Now We Are Six Again.
James Yorkston sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 2009 CD Folk Songs.
Nick Dow sang Just As the Tide Was Flowing on his 2013 CD Old England's Ground.
Lyrics
Shirley Collins sings Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing | |
---|---|
One morning in the month of May A sailor's wife at home must bide, | |
Harry Cox sings Just As the Tide Was A-Flowing | Peter Bellamy sings Just As the Tide Was Flowing |
One morning in the month of June |
One morning in the month of June |
“My pretty maid,” to her he said, |
“Good morn to you, my pretty fair maid, |
No more did say, but on her way |
No more they did say, but on her way |
And upon the grass she then did roll |
Then on the grass this young girl did roll |
So they kissed, shook hands and then did part; |
So they kissed, shook hands and then did part; |
Tony Rose sings Just As the Tide Was Flowing | Eliza Carthy sings Just as the Tide Was Flowing |
One morning in the month of May, |
One morning in the month of June, |
Oh, her dress it was as white as milk, | |
I made a bow and said, “Fair maid, |
“My pretty maid,” to her he said, |
And no more we said, but on our way |
No more did stay, but on the way |
And as she lay there on the grass |
Upon the grass she then did roll, |
We both shook hands and off did steer, |
So they kissed, shook hands and when they part |
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Mair La Touche for help with Eliza Carthy's lyrics.