Lyr Req: Who Put the Blood

Subject: Who put the blood
From: GUEST,Fiddlergirl in Lake Louise
Date: 18 May 02 - 06:23 PM

I heard this strange and lovely song at a session recently, I've been looking for the lyrics with no luck. The song is a conversation between a mother and son, and it starts out with "who put the blood on your right shoulder, son tell it unto me". I was told that the name was simply "Who put the blood". If anyone can help me with this, it would be much appreciated... thanks!

Slan

~Elise

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 May 02 - 06:41 PM

This ballad is often called "Edward". It's No. 13 of the Child classification, which you may know. There's probably a version or two in the Digital Tradition - try the Lyrics search box for "Edward", for a start.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 May 02 - 06:46 PM

Better still.... put "@child 13" into "Digitrad and Forum Search"!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 19 May 02 - 06:33 AM

You might also check the title as "What Brought The Blood" which is how this song appears in Sean O'Boyle's excellent book The Irish Song Tradition, published by Gilbert Dalton, Dublin, 1976. My edition is in paperback and the ISBN number is 09505 17313. The hardback ISBN is 09505 17305, though I don't know if these are still in print. They certainly deserve to be.

There are 25 songs in this collection, plus a lot of interesting historical and music-related notes (not surprising, as O'Boyle is respected in these fields). Well worth getting if you like Irish songs.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO PUT THE BLOOD (from Karan Casey)
From: michaelr
Date: 19 May 02 - 03:53 PM

Here is the version Karan Casey recorded on her CD "The Winds Begin To Sing", which is most likely the one you heard:

WHO PUT THE BLOOD (Trad.)

Where have you been all the long summer's day
Son tell it unto me
A-fishing and a-fowling in the fields and in the forest
I am weary mother let me be (repeat last line)

Who put the blood on your right shoulder
Son tell it unto me
It's the blood of a hare that I killed yesterday
I killed most manfully

The blood of a hare it would never be so red
Son tell it unto me
It's the blood of a boy that I killed yesterday
I'm weary mother let me be

What was between yourself and the boy
Son tell it unto me
It was mostly the cutting of a rod
That never would come to a tree

What will you do when your father finds out
Son tell it unto me
I will put my foot on board a ship and sail away
And sail to a foreign country

What will you do with your lovely wedded wife
Son tell it unto me
She can put her foot on board a ship and follow me
And follow after me

What will you do with your two fine babes
Son tell it unto me
I'll give one to my father and the other to my mother
To keep them company

What will you do with your house and lands
Son tell it unto me
I will lay them bare to the birds and the air
There's no more welcome for me

What will you do in the winter of your life
Son tell it unto me
Like a sally in the rock I will bend with the wind
And pray for the gods' mercy

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: GUEST,firínne
Date: 19 May 02 - 08:15 PM

This reminds me of a song called 'My Son David' which I heard many years ago. I don't know if it's Scottish or Welsh, but the first verse goes like this....

Oh, what's the blood that's on the stone, My son David, oh, son David, What's the blood that's on the stone, Come, promise, tell me true?

And it goes on to say that 'that's the blood of my grey mare', 'my brother John', 'my Lady wife' etc., but I can't remember it off-hand. There are quite a few songs of this ilk, 'Lord Edward' and 'My Son Henry' for instance. 'My Son David' beats them all hands down though!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 May 02 - 08:39 PM

Scottish; that would be Jeannie Robertson's set, I expect, though it would be on your sword rather than on the stone.

Michaelr: Did Karan Casey name her source for that one?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: michaelr
Date: 19 May 02 - 11:57 PM

Malcolm - the liner notes say "Thank you to Aine Ni Ui Cheallaigh in Ring, Co. Wateford, for singing this song to me a few years back".

Michael

Subject: Lyr Add: WHAT PUT THE BLOOD (from the Johnstons)
From: Watson
Date: 20 May 02 - 08:08 AM

I remember this as "What Put the Blood" from the Johnstons' LP (remember those?) "Ye Jacobites By Name"

WHAT PUT THE BLOOD
Traditional

Where have you been in the whole afternoon?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I've been fishing and fowling the whole day long,
It was all for me brother's treachery,
It was all for me brother's treachery.

What put the blood on your right shoulder?
Son, come tell it unto me.
'Tis the blood of a hare that I killed today,
I killed most gallantly,
I killed most gallantly

The blood of the old hare it could never be so red,
Son, come tell it unto me.
'Tis the blood of a boy that I killed today,
I killed most gallantly
I killed most gallantly

What was it came between yourself and the boy?
Son, come tell it unto me.
It was mostly over the cutting of a rod,
That never will be a tree,
That never will be a tree.

What will you do when your Daddy finds ye out?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I will put my foot on board of a ship,
And sail to a foreign country,
I will sail to a foreign country.

And what will you do with your own lovely wife?
Son, come tell it unto me.
She can put her foot on board of a ship,
And sail right after me,
And sail right after me.

What will you do with your two wee babies?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I'll give one to me father and one to me mother
For to bear them company,
For to bear them company.

And what will you do with your two race horses?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I will take their reins from over their necks
For they'll never race again for me,
They will never race again for me.

What will you do with your house and your lands?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I will lay them bare to the birds of the air,
For there's no more welcome there for me,
There'll be no more welcome there for me.

From the Johnstones "Ye Jacobites by Name"

AP |

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who put the blood
From: GUEST,firínne
Date: 20 May 02 - 05:34 PM

Malcolm, you are right of course! It is sword. Blame a couple of drinks for that!!