01 Sep 98 - 04:35 PM (#36726) Subject: Cruel Sister/Twa Sisters From: Annecat At this site, I found many different versions of the song "The Twa Sisters", "Binnorie," or "Cruel Sister." I'm curious, though; an author based a short story on this song after she heard one variation on it mention *three* sisters. Does anyone know this version? Also, for those of you who run Mudcat, I noticed that you didn't have the music for "Cruel Sister." You could try looking into the group Pentangle - I know they did a recording of it, but I'm not sure how true to any traditional melody it is. Good luck! |
01 Sep 98 - 08:57 PM (#36739) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Kiwi There's yet another version that Loreena McKennitt sings, called "The Bonny Swans". :) Slán, Kiwi |
01 Sep 98 - 09:18 PM (#36742) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Susan of DT a search for any of these titles shows the the Child number 10. a search for #10 then gets 9 correct hits. Of these 9 versions, 6 have tunes, one with 4 tunes and one with 2, so there are plenty of tunes entered, including several that are not familiar to me.
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01 Sep 98 - 09:49 PM (#36746) Subject: Lyr Add: THE CRUEL SISTER From: Maelgwyn I found six versions in Child which made mention of three sisters. Here's one of them. I don't have time right now, but I'll try and post the rest later. :)
There were three sisters lived in a bouir
“O sister, sister, gang down to yon sand
O they have gane down to yonder sand...
“Gae set your fit on yonder stane...
She set her fit on yonder stane...
“O sister, sister, tak me by the hand...
“O sister, sister, tak me by the gluve...
She had a switch into her hand...
O whiles she sank, and whiles she swam...
The miller's daughter gade doun to Tweed...
“O father, O father, what's yon in the dam?...
They have tane her out till yonder thorn...
She hadna, hadna twa days lain...
He made a harp o her breast bane... I've got a question about another version of the ballad that I found in child's notes. It starts out like this:
O it was eke a pheasant cock That's the first verse. Then a harper passes by, builds himself a harp, and then meets with
...a goodly company
And from her bones he drew such tones Then come two more verses and in the latter of the two the harp begins to speak:
There sits the squire, my worthy sire
And that's it. Does anyone happen to know how it ends? |
02 Sep 98 - 01:19 AM (#36773) Subject: Lyr Add: THE CRUEL SISTER From: Maelgwyn Here's another one:
There were three sisters lived in a hall.
He courted the eldest with a penknife
He courted the youngest with a glove
“O sister, O sister, will you go and take a walk
“O lean your foot upon the stone
She leaned her foot upon the stone
“O sister, O sister, give me your hand
“O I'll not lend to you my hand
“O sister, sister, give me your glove
“It's I'll not lend to you my glove
Sometimes she sank, and sometimes she swam
The miller's daughter was coming out wi speed
“O father, father, stop the dam
He dragged her out unto the shore
By cam a fiddler, and he was fair
By cam her father's harper, and he was fine
When they came to her father's court
“O God bless my father the king
“My sister Jane she tumbled me in |
02 Sep 98 - 08:47 AM (#36795) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Rosy Clannad does a version of The Cruel Sister that has a distinctly North American sound -- the tune sounds Appalachian. It's sort of like The Riddle Song compared with Captain Weddenburn's Courtship, which contains the same riddle and a few more besides. The Clannad version only has two sisters, but there's a three part burden, which is interesting:
"There were two sisters side by side, I love the way these traditional songs are passed back and forth -- variety is the spice of life! |
02 Sep 98 - 09:58 AM (#36799) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Jon W. A local group of three very talented young ladies (ages 18, 13, and 11) and their father have recorded a version with the same burden as Rosy gave above (probably the same melody), but adapted it to their family and sensibilities. The oldest sister pushes the boy in, in their version. They stop the song before he dies, though. It turns into a comical song. I'll post the words when I get another chance to listen to it. |
03 Sep 98 - 03:55 AM (#36882) Subject: Lyr Add: THE TWO SISTERS (sung by Pentangle) From: JB3 The prettiest tune has to be the one recorded by Pentangle, but I like this one for group singing. As usual, if there is a third sister, she is only mentioned in the first verse. This one is from Hindman, Kentucky. I like the bits about the beaver hat and the mermaid/swan.
The Two Sisters
There lived an old man by the northern sea
A young knight came a courting there
He gave the youngest a beaver hat
He gave the youngest a gay gold ring
Oh sister, oh sister let us walk out
But when they reached the north sea brim
Oh sister, oh sister lend me your hand
I'll neither lend thee hand nor glove
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam
Oh miller, oh miller go draw your dam
It's neither a fish nor a swan I see
The miller came out with his fish hook
He robbed her of her gay gold ring
The miller was hung at his mill gate |
03 Sep 98 - 07:44 AM (#36893) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Susan-Marie Rosy, what do you mean about there being a "three-part burden" in the Clannad version? |
03 Sep 98 - 11:46 AM (#36910) Subject: Lyr Add: TWO SISTERS From: Maelgwyn There is one version in Child where the third sister is mentioned after the first verse
There lived three sisters in a bouer
There cam a knight to see them a'
He brought the eldest ring and glove
He brought the second sheath and knife After that it continues in the usual manner. I do have a question, though. Who is St. Johnston? |
07 Sep 98 - 10:32 PM (#37370) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Annecat Thank you all! I love hearing as many versions as I can get my hands on -- ears, rather. Pentangle's melody is the only one I heard outside of this site, but it seems substantially different, so it might be worthwhile to add it to Mudcat's "Cruel Sister." I'm fairly new to folk music terminology, since I'm just now developing interest. What is a "burden" in a song? Jon W.- If you could, I'd love it if you posted the humorous version. Now that I've traumatized a few of my friends with "Cruel Sister," maybe this will give them less nightmares. |
08 Sep 98 - 07:38 PM (#37492) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Susan of DT The burden is those repeating second and fourth lines (refrain), rather than a chorus as a separate stanza. |
08 Sep 98 - 11:35 PM (#37539) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Annecat Thanks so much! I'll learn slow but sure. Q: Are the words to the burden in Pentangle "Lay the band to the bonny broom" ????? I really don't know what they're singing. |
09 Sep 98 - 09:41 AM (#37578) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Alan of Australia G'day, Here's the first verse of the Pentangle version:- There lived a lady by the North sea shore The word "bent" is probably the dialect word for hillside or grassy tract or possibly stiff grass, and "broom" is probably the (yellow) flowering plant. Not that it makes much sense anyway. Anyone want the rest of the words? Cheers, |
09 Sep 98 - 10:13 AM (#37583) Subject: Lyr Add: THREE SISTERS (sung by Fiddlesticks) From: Jon W. Here is the comical version I promised:
THREE SISTERS I suppose the biggest part of the humor is the disdainful note in the eldest sister's voice as she sings the last line (not including burden) of each verse. |
09 Sep 98 - 10:18 AM (#37584) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Jon W. P.S. Here's a link to Fiddlestick's home page |
10 Sep 98 - 08:27 AM (#37759) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: ALDUS The Best version of this song that I have ever heard is on an Album by the wonderful Frankie Armstong. It was her first realese on topic, early seventies perhaps. I do not thonk it has been re-issued. If you can find a copy of the album, buy it. It rema9ins one of my favourite folk albums ...ever |
10 Sep 98 - 08:56 AM (#37763) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Susan-Marie Jon - Thank you thank you for the Fiddlesticks version! This will go over much better at the family reunion than the more gory traditional version. You never can tell when a distant relative will turn out to have no sense of humor! |
10 Sep 98 - 12:28 PM (#37780) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Aldus I though the words were...lay a HAND to the bonnie broom . |
12 Sep 98 - 09:51 AM (#37956) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: Alan of Australia Aldus, Nope! Not according to the sleeve notes.
Cheers, |
14 Sep 98 - 10:39 AM (#38053) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: skw@worldmusic.de Alan of Australia, my version of 'Riddles Wisely Expounded' (Child #1) has the same burden as Pentangle's 'Cruel Sister', but the explanation I have for it is quite different: 'Lay the bent to the bonny broom' (a phrase of 'physiological significance' - 'bent' = 'horn' - says Miss Margaret Dean-Smith who has a sharp sense for euphemism). (A.L. Lloyd, 'Folk Song in England',p 153f.) 'The erotic implications are emphasized by the first refrain line, for 'broom' here means the female private parts.' (Roy Palmer (Ed.), Everyman's Book of British Ballads 198) Susanne |
27 Jan 03 - 04:26 PM (#876023) Subject: RE: Cruel Sister From: GUEST,Rowinodn@aol.com Notes on Cruel Sister--the Pentangle version was arranged by the group, consisting of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and Danny Thompson; the lyrics were consistent with other versions of this. I would express some concern that a folkmusic site does not have, for example, the House Carpenter version made by Pentangle, nor the traditional 'Trees They Do Grow High" by them either...however, this is a GREAT site, for young folk not likely to find lyrics posted in other places...thanks |