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Length: 8:05
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Lord Darnell's wife came into church, the gospel for to hear
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about,
And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd.
"Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight,
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light."
"Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight,
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell's wife."
"What if I am Lord Darnell's wife? Lord Darnell's not at home.
For he is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home."
And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said,
He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set.
And in his hurry to carry the news he bent his breast and ran,
And when he came to the broad mill stream he took of his shoes and he swam.
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep,
When he awoke, Lord Darnell was standing at his feet.
Saying "How do you like my feather bed? And how do you like my sheets?
How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?"
"Oh, well I like your feather bed, and well I like your sheets.
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep."
"Well, Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried "Get up as quick as you can,
It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man."
"Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life.
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket-knife."
"Well it's true I have two beaten swords, and they cost me deep in the purse.
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse."
"And you will strike the very first blow, and strike it like a man,
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can.
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Darnell sore,
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more.
And then Lord Darnell he took his wife and he sat her on his knee,
Saying, "Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?"
And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free.
"I'd rather kiss from dead Matty's lips, than you with your finery.
Lord Darnell he jumped up and loudly he did bawl,
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall.
"A grave, a grave!" Lord Darnell cried, "to put these lovers in.
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin."
Sex and violins, you can't beat it!
Bit of wikipedia trivia... [Richard Thompson].. ..While attending William Ellis School in Highgate, he formed his first band "Emil and the Detectives" (named after a book and a movie by the same title) with classmate Hugh Cornwell, later lead singer and guitarist of The Stranglers, on bass guitar.
Classmates - interesting, especially if you have in mind that Stranglers count as a new wave band, while FP are from the (earlier) classic (folk) rock era.
If only that DAMNED servant wouldn't have run and told on them.
Someone ought to impale him against the wall too for being a meddler.
Aaaarh! If it weren't for you meddelin' servants I would have got away with it!!
![nyah](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_nyah.gif)
A bit of background to the song. It’s based on a traditional Border Ballad from my part of the world. During the era of this song bands of Border Reivers (bandits) had made the area around the Scottish/English border a lawless no man’s land for hundreds of years. The people were dour lowland Scots (Americans call them UlsterScots) whose only loyalty was to the family. They robbed anyone who wasn't strong enough to hold onto their property and any perceived insult was dealt with through violence.
Some would say the area hasn’t changed much.
My cousin died on PAN Am 103. South of the border. Lockerbie was an impoverished village. Maybe it had seen better days. Maybe not. The townspeople were very kind to the friends and relatives of the victims. They still are. Any visitor with a story will be welcomed. The Cemetery is beautifully kept. As a memorial to those who perished and a reminder of the inhumanity of man
I remember being at the record store back then going through the alphabetized bins buying this LP and Ten Years After's Cricklewood Green that day. Still have those albums.
Ahhhh- now I have to dig out Cricklewood Green!!!
Richard and Linda Thompson's "When The Spell Is Broken" is phenomenal too...
![boohoo](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/eusa_boohoo.gif)
Lord Darnell's wife seems a cougar to me
![lol](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_lol.gif)
Easy 9 for me. Love the story.
Are you a complete dick or are you running that brain? in for a friend?
"Synthesizer"? Where? There was zero synth on that piece of music. I don't even know where you think there was. It was recorded in 1969. I don't think Fairport used a synth before the mid 80s, and then only rarely.
Yep, I was at Cropredy in the 80s I think and it was over 45 minutes (they had lots of ex-members as guests, so everyone 'got a go'). When we heard it start, we checked the time ;-) It was awesome !!!
Saw RT in Santa Fe last month. Still brilliant, still on top of his game.
Not I love you, why did you leave me?
I will have the last laugh, you baude.
![{#War} {#War}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_war.gif)
![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
A bit of background to the song. It’s based on a traditional Border Ballad from my part of the world. During the era of this song, bands of Border Reivers (bandits) made the area around the Scottish/English border a lawless no man’s land for hundreds of years. The people were dour lowland Scots (Americans call them UlsterScots) whose only loyalty was to the family. They robbed anyone who wasn't strong enough to hold onto their property, and any perceived insult was dealt with through violence.
Some would say the area hasn’t changed much.
That's probably the most off-topic post ever on RP... are you sure you're commenting on the right track?
The founding song/album for the whole folk-rock genre, and still one of the best - murder and class, all in a few minutes, beat that Mumford and Sons! And RT and Swarb never better...
'Shady Grove' - they share the same trad. roots...
Perhaps because Fairport Convention have been going for over three decades, so are hardly "kindergarden" artists? Electro-folk has long divided opinion within and outwith the 'folk scene', and intense dislike is understandable, but give the band credit for longevity, innovation and a large following.
In the news recently, FP's violinist, Dave Swarbrick, died this month. See this Guardian report.
...i see an empty chair over here, my lucky day
Which came first? This tune OR Jessica by the Allman Brothers ?
I think you must be really confused......hypoglycemia maybe? Try having a Snickers and give it another listen. (Good freakin' grief....poor sucker must be tone deaf)
And to answer your question, not that it's a relevant one because this is an English folk ballad and Jessica is anything but folk-like, ""Matty Groves" is an English folk ballad that describes an adulterous tryst between a man and a woman that is ended when the woman's husband discovers and kills them. It dates to at least the 17th century"
This version by Fairport Convention also pre-dates Jessica by about 4 years. So there you go. The Allman Brothers obviously copied the tune and then made it sound nothing in the world like it so that only you could detect it.
Which came first? This tune OR Jessica by the Allman Brothers ?
I dunno, were the Allmans writing in the 1600's?
kinda...
was reading the lyrics 'of the song that I just heard (as I thought) and rated with a fine grade' and then wanted to give a bad rate to the horrible next instrumental song, and then found out it's still the same song :D
(btw the ''horrible ' is just my opinion of course, as music taste is anyway..)
well, the surprisingly awesome lyrics and the first part still keep the grade up ;)
Well, if you're going to ruin an otherwise brilliant ballad, you may as well go all out with a "hoedown" (perfect description of it, jhorton!) :-(
kinda...
was reading the lyrics 'of the song that I just heard (as I thought) and rated with a fine grade' and then wanted to give a bad rate to the horrible next instrumental song, and then found out it's still the same song :D
(btw the ''horrible ' is just my opinion of course, as music taste is anyway..)
well, the surprisingly awesome lyrics and the first part still keep the grade up ;)
gimme one step mister
Someone ought to impale him against the wall too for being a meddler.
These are instructive songs, illustrating the perils of assimilating a culture of ownership.
The idea that you would need to, have to or want to try, to own someone seems absurd to me, been there, didn't do that.
But on the other hand, without this culture we wouldn't have such fine music, captivating stories or essential drama.
See also the Beatles "Run For Your Life"
Which came first? This tune OR Jessica by the Allman Brothers ?
These are instructive songs, illustrating the perils of assimilating a culture of ownership.
The idea that you would need to, have to or want to try, to own someone seems absurd to me, been there, didn't do that.
But on the other hand, without this culture we wouldn't have such fine music, captivating stories or essential drama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E68eaKWIOuE
1.
How can anything be this bad?
One must ask: how can anyone be so clueless? So, there!
1.
How can anything be this bad?
I'd say Matty Grove is not so happy.
Please stop wasting our time with repetitive visuals. Very juvenile. That is what the rating button is for.
![](https://dubsism.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/bad-christmas-music.jpg)
This is precisely what I came here to write.
...... yes it does. 10 + +
I couldn't agree more!
![{#Guitarist} {#Guitarist}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_guitarist.gif)
![{#Guitarist} {#Guitarist}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_guitarist.gif)
tori amos - smells like teen spirit just before this song again in 2012 and I have to say this wrecked the vibe I had going
H
![{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/dancingbanana.gif)
![{#Arghhh} {#Arghhh}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_arghhh.gif)
10.
Quite, some two decades before the latest upstarts of the Nu-nu-folk movement (Decemberists, Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes et al), and IMO Fairport Convention beat the socks off these interlopers.
Best part of four decades Fred. . .
![{#Clap} {#Clap}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_clap.gif)
Quite, some three decades before the latest upstarts of the Nu-nu-folk movement (Decemberists, Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes et al), and IMO Fairport Convention beat the socks off these interlopers.
![{#Clap} {#Clap}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_clap.gif)
That's kind of a personal question, don't you think?
![{#Drummer} {#Drummer}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_drummer.gif)
Is this an audience or an oil painting?
This song dates back more than 200 years. Always interesting to hear new interpretations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shady_Grove_(song)
![{#Sunny} {#Sunny}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/sunny.gif)
![{#Cowboy} {#Cowboy}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cowboy.gif)
tkay73 wrote:
When will it ever end, make it stop!!
rtrudeau wrote:
This song sounds like a British Hillbilly song
It is. We call it "Folk music"
![](https://ipicture.ru/uploads/101009/CUVaUqON1s.gif)
Just in case you have no idea about Sandy;
Sandy Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978), born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriterwho has been described by Allmusic's Richie Unterberger as "the pre-eminent British folk rock singer".<1>
Denny is considered a founder of the British folk rock movement and perhaps its most important female singer, songwriter and personality. Over a ten year career Sandy Denny left an extensive legacy and remains influential. She is remembered for her pivotal involvement with the British folk rock scene, where, as a member of Fairport Convention, she moved the band away from west coast American cover versions and into performing traditional material and original compositions.
![{#Smile} {#Smile}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_smile.gif)
Long enough to require chapters. . .
![{#Rolleyes} {#Rolleyes}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_rolleyes.gif)
I'm hoping it will end by next 4th of july
When will it ever end, make it stop!!
"Shady Grove, my little love,
Shady grove I say"
![{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/dancingbanana.gif)
Exactly what I was thinking!
"Shady Grove, my little love,
Shady grove I say"
![{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/dancingbanana.gif)
Sex and violins, you can't beat it!
Correction good sir; Sex, Murder and Violins!
(kinda sounds like a Frank Zappa single, doesn't it?)