ADD: Married a Soldier (John Clare, G Tyrall)

Subject: Lyr Req: Married a soldier
From: fogie
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:02 PM

All I remember is that it was in All Folk Round the Wrekin years ago.
Played by a trio -can't remember the name. Starts
The pride of all the village ,
The fairest to be seen .
The pride of all the village ,
She might have been a queen.
Has said farewell to neighbours,
?????????????????????????????
Married a soldier who wandered away.
Can anyone elucidate?

Subject: Lyr Add: MARRIED A SOLDIER (J Clare/G Tyrall)
From: rodentred
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 04:14 PM

It is a poem by John Clare that was put to music by Gordon Tyrall.

This is ahow I remember it.

MARRIED A SOLDIER
(J Clare/G Tyrall)

The pride of all the village ,
The fairest to be seen .
The pride of all the village ,
That might have been a queen.
Has said farewell to neighbours
Left dance and play
Married to a soldier wandered away

The cottage stands neglected
The garden gathers green
Summer comes unnoticed
Her flowers are never seen
No one to tie a blossom or clear weed away
Married to a soldier wandered away

And the neighbours wonder at her
As surely well they may
To think that one could flatter
Her heart to go away
But the cocked hat and the feather appear very gay
She's married to a soldier wandered away

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married a soldier
From: fogie
Date: 13 Nov 02 - 05:41 AM

My grateful thanks to you Rodentred, and heres me thinking I knew quite a lot about John Clare. I thought it very Thomas Hardy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married a soldier
From: mooman
Date: 13 Nov 02 - 07:09 AM

I do this one as well and can verify Rodentred's transcription as being entirely accurate!

The trio wou;d probably have been Dab Hand (Gordon Tyrall, Tom McConville and Tom Napper).

Best regards,

mooman

Subject: ADD: Married a Soldier (J Clare/G Tyrall)
From: GUEST,kendrive
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 04:27 PM

Here are the full lyrics of "Married to a Soldier":
^^
MARRIED A SOLDIER
(J Clare/G Tyrall)

The pride of all the village,
The fairest to be seen,
The pride of all the village
That might have been a queen,
Has bid goodbye to neighbours
And left the dance and play
And married to a soldier
And wandered far away.

The cottage is neglected,
Where young men used to go
And talk about her beauty
And see her come and go;
The bench agen her cottage
Where she used to work at eve
Is vanished with the woodbine;
And all are taken leave.

Her cottage is neglected,
Her garden gathers green,
The summer comes unnoticed,
Her flowers are never seen;
There's none to tie a blossom up
Or clean a weed away;
She's married to a soldier
And wandered far away.

The neighbours wonder at her,
And surely well they may,
To think onse so could flatter
Her heart to go away.
But the cocked hat and feather
Appeared so very gay,
She bundled clothes together
And married far away.