DEVIL IN THE GARDEN^^^
(Bob Coltman)
Pretty little girl all dressed in white,
Weave, wove, and woven,
Walking in the garden alone tonight,
Walking in the garden without any light,
Hee, ho, Devil in the garden,
Devil in the garden roving.
Down in the garden, she met a man walking,
Weave, etc.
She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help larking,
'Fore she knew it she and him was a-talking,
Hee, ho, etc.
Lookahere, girl, d'you know who I am? ...
Yes sir, yes sir, and I'm in a jam,
For you're the original flimflam man ...
Lookahere, girl, you must play my game.
Nine hard questions, your soul to claim,
And you must answer 'em just the same. .
What is lost and can never be found? ...
What is the ring that'll never roll round,
And what is the rock that'll never break down? .
The days are lost and can never be found . . .
Ring of the bell will never roll round
And a rock of the cradle will never break down
What is the string that can never be tied? ...
And what is the mare nobody can ride,
And what is the question no one can decide? ...
Man's heartstrings can never be tied ...
Old nightmare nobody can ride,
And where I'm goin' even you can't decide ...
What is bluer than the sky so blue? ...
What is truer than me or you,
And what can you tell the poor Devil to do? . . .
Bluer is the water in Duncan's well ...
Truer is love than tongue can tell,
And I can tell the Devil to run back to Hell ...
Fare you well then, human girl ...
God and me and you in the middle,
You speak so smart to the Devil's riddle,
You are not mine, you're of this world . . .
(Riddles Wisely Expounded, No. 1, and The Elfin Knight, No. 2
These two fell together in my mind and wouldn't separate: one a devil's quiz, the other the riddling of an elf lover, both with ulterior motives: to carry off the lady to some secluded spot and...
The story is as old as time, came with us probably when the earth first grew green. It was scary when villages were little spots of light in the great dark of the forest and the next silhouette to come over the hill might not have proper substance. But I made mine modern, as if in one of those movies set in the moonlit garden of some decaying southern mansion, the Devil in the shape of a portly Senator and the wise virgin a sassy flapper out for a breath of air. I wish you could have seen Abby and Lyn singing this; they pounced on it as if they'd been waiting up nights for a chance to sass the Devil
Child #1
filename[ DEVLGARD
SOF
Feb07
Son of Child CD Track 1
(from Joe Offer) Here are the Folk-Legacy notes on this song:
Devil in the Garden (Bob Coltman, BMI)
|
Cathy Barton: autoharp, lead vocal; Dave Para: guitar, lead vocal; Additional chorus vocals: Caroline Paton, Sandy Paton, Ed Trickett
It is one of life's great rewards to meet and work with people you have long admired. Bob Coltman is one of many people to whom Ed Trickett introduced us in the winter of 1980, and we long have marveled at his music and creativity. This song, a rewrite of Child #1, "Riddles Wisely Expounded," or"The Devil's Nine Questions," is from Bob's great album of such rewrites, Son of Child (Minstrel JD-205). Bob says he sees it "set in a moonlit garden of some decaying southern mansion, the Devil in the shape of a portly senator and the wise virgin a sassy flapper out for a breath of air." Professor Child may be in orbit over this, but it sure is fun to sing.
(Dave Para)
Pretty little girl all dressed in white,
Weave, wove, and woven,
Walking in the garden alone at night,
Walking in the garden without any light,
Hee-ho, Devil in the garden,
Devil in the garden a-rovin'.
(Similarly:)
Out in the garden she met a man walking.
She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help larking.
Before she knew it, she and him were a-talking.
"Looky-here, girl, do you know who I am?"
"Yes, sir, yes, sir, and I'm in a jam,
Because you're the original flimflam man."
"Looky-here, girl, you gotta play my game:
Nine hard questions, your soul to claim,
And you must answer them just the same.
"What is lost and can never be found?
What is the ring that can never roll around,
And what is the rock that can never break down?"
"Days are lost and can never be found.
The ring of the bell will never roll around,
And the rock of the cradle will never break down."
"What are the strings that can never be tied?
What is the mare nobody can ride,
And what is the question no one can decide?"
"Man's heartstrings can never be tied.
Old nightmare nobody can ride,
And where I'm going, even you can't decide."
"What is bluer than the sky so blue?
What is truer than me and you
And what can you tell the poor old Devil to do?" "Bluer is the blue (water) in Duncan's well.
Truer is love than tongue can tell,
And I can tell the Devil to go straight to Hell." "Fare you well, then, human girl.
It's God and me and you in the middle,
And you speak so smart to the Devil's riddle,
You are not mine, you are of this world."
When I originally posted this, I had the first line as "pretty little girl evil dressed in white," but it's definitely "all" on the Folk-Legacy recording. Don't know what happened to the original source, so I don't know if the mistake was mine or theirs. -Joe- |
©1992 Folk-Legacy Records, Inc. Sharon, Connecticut 06069
|
sj