Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew (from Martin Carthy)

Subject: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From: *Laura*
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 06:13 PM

hi - I've had a look in the backlog and can't find anything - does anyone know the lyrics to 'The Foggy Dew' as on Martin Carthy's Waiting for Angles album?

cheers m'dears

laura xx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From:
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 06:25 PM

There are 6 different versions of the Foggy Dew in the DT itself, and a number of threads on the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From:
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 06:46 PM

In the DT:

Foggy Dew
Foggy Dew (Irish 2)
Foggy Dew (Irish)
Foggy Dew (2)
Foggy Dew (6)
Foggy Dew (Revolutionary)
Foggy Foggy Dew
Foggy Foggy Dew (Frightened Yorkshire Damsel)

Within the Forum, we have a number of threads discussing the song with several sets of lyrics. While they may NOT say Martin Carty, are any of them even close?

Foggy Dew - Various Versions
John McCormack's Foggy Dew
Foggy Dew - English
Lyr Add: Foggy Dew
Help: The Foggy Dew
Foggy Dew - More Verses
Foggy Dew Before Easter Rising
Foggy Dew
Foggy Dew

There are lots more threads as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From:
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 06:54 PM

There's one from Katherine Tynan as well.

The Foggy Dew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From:
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 07:22 PM

From http://www.greenmanreview.com/liveatthelion.html
Not all the songs are familiar, at least not to me. There is a version of "Foggy Dew" which is not the usual warhorse, for which Harris thanks the late Ewan MacColl, and an American song called "Cambric Shirt" learnt from Laurence Older which, it will come as no surprise to learn, is a very distant cousin of "Scarborough Fair." Despite the disc's very English character, Harris is clearly not embarrassed at the inclusion of American material and his version of "The Lion's Den" is also a transatlantic one. It is interesting to note that in Martin Carthy's notes on his own version of this song, which appeared last year on his excellent and highly original album Signs of Life, he points out that he has known this song for over thirty years but did not record it until he found an English version!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carty
From:
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 07:26 PM

Note, Cambric Shirt is in the Forum as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Aug 04 - 09:31 PM

Hi, Laura - check out this Waterson-Carthy Website( https://mainlynorfolk.info/martin.carthy/ ) it was developed by sometime Mudcatter Garry Gillard, and it's now hosted by Reinhard Zierke. It (supposedly) has lyrics for all Waterson-Carthy Songs - but I can't find "Foggy Dew" there - but the "Waiting for Angels" CD is not due to be released until September, 2004.
The "Waiting For Angles" album is by another artist - I understand his name is George W. Bush, and that it's about winning elections without getting the majority of votes.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: *Laura*
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 07:58 AM

thanks - we had a few of the album at sidmouth from Martin - thats how i've heard it. i did have a look on those links earlier but i couldn't find it - got it now though.
cheers

laura xx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From:
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 12:00 PM

OK, Laura, Great! Which one is it then, please?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FOGGY DEW (from Martin Carthy)
From: *Laura*
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 12:24 PM

OK calm down. Here it is:

THE FOGGY DEW

O, I am a bachelor and I live alone,
And I work in the weaver's trade.
And the only, only thing that I ever done wrong
Was courtin' a fair young maid.
I courted her one summertime,
And all the winter too.
And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong
Was keep her from the foggy, dew.

I got that tired of living alone,
I says to her one day,
"I've a nice little crib in my old shack,
Where you might safely lay.
You'll be all right in the summertime,
And in the winter, too,
And you'll lay right warm and take no harm
Away from the foggy, dew."

"I don't think much of this old shack,
And I shall lonely be,
With only that poor old Cyprus cat
To keep me company.
There's a cricket singing on the hearth
And what can that thing do,
If the night turn raw and the fire won't draw,
To keep me from the foggy, dew?"

One night she come to my bedside,
Time I lay fast asleep.
She puts her head down on my bed,
And she starts in to weep.
She moaned and cried, she well nigh die,
She say, "What shall I do?"
So I haul her into bed and I cover up her head,
To save her from the foggy, dew.

Says I, "Lie down, you silly young girl,
And wipe away them tears,"
And I hauled her shift up over her head,
And I wrapped it round her ears.
We was all right in the wintertime,
And in the summer, too.
And I held her tight that livelong night
To save her from the foggy, dew.

"Now, lay you still, you silly young girl,
And don't you feel afraid,
For if you want to work with me,
You got to learn your trade."
I learned her all that summertime,
And all the winter, too.
And truth to tell, she learned that well,
She saved us from the foggy, dew.

One night I laid there, good as gold,
And then she say to me,
"I've got a pain without my back,
Where no pain ought to be.
We was all right in the summer time,
And in the winter, too.
But I've took some ill or a kind of chill,
On account of the foggy, dew."

One night she started to moan and cry.
Says I, "What's up with you?"
She say, "I never should 'ave been this way,
If that hadn't 'ave been for you."
I got my boots and trousers on,
And I got my neighbour, too.
But do what we would, we couldn't do good,
And she died in the foggy, dew.

So now I'm a bachelor, and I live with my son,
And we work at the weaver's trade.
And every single time I look into his face,
I see the eyes of that fair young maid.
It reminds me of the summertime,
And of the winter, too.
And the many nights she laid in my arms,
Just to save her from the foggy dew.

There - lovely song. Many thanks

laura xx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From:
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 01:46 AM

Many thanks. I had thought you'd just point in the direction of one of the lyric sets. But I appreciate the extra work you went through to type in the whole thing. Excellent.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: Mudlark
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 02:41 AM

My, my, I remember my mother singing a shortened version of THIS version of Foggy Dew 60 years ago. And she was not at all into traditional material...maybe this came from musical hall venues?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: *Laura*
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:23 AM

Thats ok - i found it but then couldn't remember which it was and had printed a copy so... there it is!
I'm not sure where it might have come from - Matin's version is the first I've heard.

thanks again

laura xx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: Reinhard
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 03:34 AM

I finally got the Waiting for Angels
CD a few days ago and added the Foggy Dew
lyrics Laura posted here with a bit of changes to what Martin Carthy
actually sang on the record. Thank you very much, Laura!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: Jack Hickman
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 10:48 AM

I have always wondered about the meaning of the expression "Foggy Dew". One theory I have heard is that it is a corruption of the Irish meaning the "Black Church." I have discussed this with a number of my friends who are fluent in Irish, but they were unable to confirm or deny this origin. It was suggested that the young lady in the story was destined to enter the convent, but met the hero of the song instead, hence was saved from a life of celibacy.

Does anyone else have any comments on this.

Jack Hickman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Foggy Dew - Martin Carthy
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Sep 04 - 11:33 AM

That bizarre suggestion was debunked long ago, but like so many other romantic myths of the mid 20th century, is still circulated. It has been mentioned in earlier discussions here.