Origin: Queen of Hearts (Tim O'Brien)

Subject: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 08:32 AM

Someone gave me a tape mix with this song on it. Sounds like Tim O'Brien, doing a duet with some female (not Mollie). It starts out with the words:

Once I lived like a traveller standing at the crossroads of his life...

Does anyone know if this was written by O'Brien? Recorded anywhere? (I think my friend got it off a video on TV.) Called "Queen of Hearts"? It's really a beautiful song.

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Dale Rose
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 11:49 AM

A song of that title is on his 1984 Flying Fish album, Hard Year Blues. From the notes on the Rounder/Flying Fish site, it looks as though it could be Mollie, Mary Flower, Emily Cantrell, Sharon or Cheryl White, though since Emily Cantrell is the only one listed as lead in addition to harmony vocals, she'd be my guess.

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 09:39 PM

Thanks Dale. I looked up Tim O'Brien on CDNOW.com, and I thought I went through every one of the albums listed looking for "Queen of Hearts." Must have gone right by it. Thanks for your help.

Subject: Lyr Add: More verses to Queen Of Hearts
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 01:00 AM

Hi, the verses in the Trad are all in the version I have, but I also have this extra one in the version sung by Cynthia Gooding on her Queen of Hearts album; the BOLD verse is being added, plain text is already in the DigiTrad. Somehow, I think there is another verse somewhere, anybody know it? There are threads on this which I have read but which don't answer this question. Thanks.

QUEEN OF HEARTS
Cynthia Gooding, Queen of Hearts (Elektra, at a guess?)

To the queen of hearts he's the ace of sorrow
He's here today, he's gone tomorrow
Young men are plenty but sweethearts few
If my love leaves me what shall I do?

Had I the store in yonder mountain
Where gold and silver is there for counting
I could not count for thought of thee
My eyes so full I could not see

I love my father, I love my mother
I love my sister, I love my brother
I love my friends and relatives too
I'll forsake them all and go with you

My father left me both house and land
And servants many at my command
At my commandment they ne'er shall be
I'll forsake them all and go with thee.

To the queen of hearts is the ace of sorrow
He's here today, he's gone tomorrow
Young men are plenty but sweethearts few
If my love leaves me what shall I do?

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I moved this message here from another thread on the same topic.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 01:15 AM

Hmmm. I wonder what else we can dig up. There's an entry in the Traditional Ballad Index, but it refers only to the Digital Tradition and to the Folksinger's Wordbook.
-Joe Offer-

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Queen of Hearts

DESCRIPTION: "To the Queen of Hearts goes the Ace of sorrow... Young men are plenty but sweethearts few; If my love leaves me, what shall I do?" The singer talks of her wealth and family, "But I'll leave them all to go with you."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1973
KEYWORDS: love courting family travel
FOUND IN: Britain
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Silber-FSWB, p. 153, "Queen of Hearts" (1 text)
DT, QUNHEART*
Roud #3195
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "I Know My Love"
File: FSWB153

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Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions

The Ballad Index Copyright 2003 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

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The lyrics in the Digital Tradition are exactly what's found in The Joan Baez Songbook. Here are the background notes from that songbook:

The English collector Sabine Baring-Gould found this song in tradition in 1894 and believed it to date back to the period of the Stuart Restoration. Love metaphors utilizing playing card motifs occur in the folksongs of many lands, but rarely as effectively as in this song.

The Folksinger's Wordbook has essentially the same lyrics Mrrzy posted, give or take a tense or two.

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Stewie
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 02:28 AM

Rich-Joy's other half, Paul Lawler, does/did a superb rendition of 'To the queen of hearts, he's the ace of sorrows'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Lancashire Lad
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 03:27 AM

See also the version by Rosie Hardman

LL

Subject: Lyr Add: QUEEN OF HEARTS
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 05:39 AM

From: Songs of the West, by S. Baring Gould, H Fleetwood Sheppard, and F.W. Bussell, new and revised edition (Methuen, n.d. [1905], pp. 232-233; with music).

                THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

1. To the Queen of Hearts he's the Ace of sorrow,
    He's here to-day, he's gone to-morrow;
    Young men are plenty but sweet-hearts few,
    If my love leave [sic] me, what shall I do?

2. When my love comes in I gaze not around,
    When my love goes out, I fall in a swound;
    To meet is pleasure, to part is sorrow,
    He is here to-day, he is gone to-morrow.

3. Had I the store in yonder mountain,
    Where gold and silver is had for counting,
    I could not count, for the thought of thee,
    My eyes so full that I could not see.

4. I love my father, I love my mother,
    I love my sister, I love my brother;
    I love my friends, my relations too,
    But I'll leave them all for the love of you.

5. My father left me both house and land,
    And servants many at my command;
    At my commandment they ne'er shall be,
    I'll forsake them all for to follow thee.

6. An Ace of sorrow to the Queen of Hearts,
    O how my bosom bleeds and smarts;
    Young men are plenty, but sweet-hearts few,
    If my love leave me what shall I do?

--[Notes, p. 30]:
THE QUEEN OF HEARTS. Sung by a workman engaged on the Burrow-Tor reservoir at Sheepstor, the water supply for Plymouth, 1894. A quaint little song. It has been printed on Broadside by Bachelar, B.M., in vol. vi. p. 110, of several volumes of Broadsides I gave to the B.M. This begins--

"O my poor heart, my poor heart is breaking
For a false young man, or I am mistaking:
He is gone to Ireland, for a long time to tarry,
Some Irish girl I am afraid he will marry."

This is obviously an addition to fill out space in the Broadside. The ballad has a favour of the period of Charles II.

Editions at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

queen of hearts [title]

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 05:57 AM

Martin Carthy's "The Queen of Hearts" (lyrics)

"Ace of Sorrow" -- Brown & Dana (lyrics & audio)

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: greg stephens
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 08:18 AM

This tune(the one in the Baring-Gould collection, anyway, and recorded by a lot of people) is very unusual in the English tradition in being in a minor key with a variable second.(in Aminor, say, the second note of the scale varies between B and Bflat). An eeire and beautiful effect. There is an English fiddle air called the Northern Lass which deploys this effect also, and these are the only two tunes that do this in our tradition that I've ever heard.

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 09:38 AM

Number 3195 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It appears that Baring-Gould's example is the only one ever found in oral currency, and that all revival recordings are arrangements of it.

The Northern Lass is a 17th century tune, and it's easy to see why Baring-Gould would place the Queen of Hearts melody in the same period. There ought really to be broadside or songsheet editions prior to the 19th century examples, but I don't know of any.

Subject: Add: Queen of Hearts- Broadside Version
From: IanC
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 12:38 PM

There are a number of the 19th Century broadside versions at the Bodleian site.

Pitts, London (1819-1844) - Firth c.18(159), Harding B 25(1583), Harding B 17(2480)
Wright, Birmingham (1831-1837) - Harding B 28(120)
March & Co, London (1877-1884) - Firth b.28(2)
Ingram & co, London - Firth b.28(3a/b)

(the latter two are in collections of songs).


Here a transcript of one of them Firth c.18(159)

The Queen of Hearts
Pitts Printer Wholesale Toy and Marble
warehouse 6, Great St. andrew street
7 Dials

O my poor heart my poor heart is breaking
For a false young man I'm quite mistaken
He is gone to Ireland long time to tary,
Some Irish girl I am afraid he will marry.

The Queen of Hearts and the Ace of sorrow,
He is here today and gone tomorrow
Young men are plenty sweethearts few
But if my love leaves me what shall I do.

When he comes in I gaze all around him
When he goes out my poor heart goes with him
To meet is a pleasure to part is a sorrow,
He is here today and gone tomorow.

I wish I was upon yonder mountain
Where gold and silver I could have for counting
I could not count it for thinking upon him
He is nothing to me what makes me love him

I love my father I love my mother,
I love my sister and likewise my brother
I love my friends and relations too,
I will forsake them all and follow you

O Billy O Billy I love you well,
I love you better than tongue can tell
I love you dearly and dare not show it
You do the same and no one shall know it

But when her father came to hear
That he was courting his daughter dear
He had him pressed and sent to sea
To keep him from her sweet company

He had not been there years passing three
On board the ship called the Victory
It was his misfortune there for to fall
And killed he was by cannon ball.


The text of the broadside versions from th 19th Century at least partly explain why The Queen of Hearts is not found earlier.
(a) These versions mention Victory so probably date from after Trafalgar
(b) The Queen of Hearts verse isn't the first, and earlier versions may not have been called by this title
(c) These versions have a rather different burden than the one collected from a traditional source (particularly in the last 2 verses).

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 01:16 PM

Dang! And here I thought you were talking about the Dave Edmunds song...

Jerry

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: clansfolk
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 02:53 PM

Brian Osborne used to do a lovely version of this - look out for one of his LPs (can't remember the name off hand - but I'm sure someone will)

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: michaelr
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 07:32 PM

Me too, Jerry. Love that song!

Playing with the Queen of Hearts
Knowing it ain't really smart
The joker ain't the only fool
Who'll do anything for you...

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Lancashire Lad
Date: 10 Feb 04 - 04:40 AM

RE Brian Osborne - Queen of Hearts

This track is on his LP called AE FOND KISS. Originally issued on the Tradition label.
A fine track on a fine and oft ovewrlooked album IMO

LL

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: clansfolk
Date: 10 Feb 04 - 05:45 AM

Thanks Lancashire Lad - I remebered the name of the LP half on me way up to pick up the PA gear for the Falcon "do"(Thread) tomorrow.... Brian would never forgive me!! There's another "In Memory of Brian Osborne Concert" in March details

Pete

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: VIN
Date: 10 Feb 04 - 06:08 AM

Brian Osborne also sings this on the Taverners great LP 'Seldom Sober'. A great song and a great singer!

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 01:03 PM

Thanks all!

Subject: RE: Queen of Hearts? Any info on this song?
From: GUEST,Chiko
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 11:08 AM

does anybody know name of duo who sings this song?
I remember it must be duo ( like simon & garfunkel )

Subject: Lyr Add: QUEEN OF HEARTS (Tim O'Brien)
From: John Hardly
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 11:18 AM

Queen of Hearts
Tim O'Brien/Howdy Skies Music, BMI

Tim O'Brien--Guitar, fiddle, lead vocal
Emily Cantrell--leand and harmony vocal
Jerry Douglas--dobro
Nick Forster--bass

Once I lived like a traveler standing at the crossroads of his life
Who knows not where to turn, and wonders if he'll ever reach his home
I was lost, tired, and waiting, didn't have a reason to go on
Days were always dark and at night I felt so all alone

Chorus:
And they say the darkest hour always seems to come before the dawn
But I never knew a light could shine half as bright as you
Now I live in your kingdom, I'm the only member of your court
And your my queen of hearts, the one I'll love and serve my whole life through

Repeat chorus
And you're my queen of hearts, the one I'll love and serve my whole life through