I'm just refreshing this because someone asked for the song in another thread: S.

I've found this post on another forum: Hilpers Forum: Looking for lyrics - The Reaper sung by Alex Atterson, and repeat the information here.

Mick

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Jake Wade asked:

Would some kind person check the following words for me??

Also looking for the music!!?

The Reaper as heard sung by Alex Atterson.
On Radio Humberside Folk programme about 1985!! ( Yes we had one then!!! )

The tufted lark is over the plain the southern breezes blow
The dewbalms wet on the bending grain, cheerily, merrily Oh
The panting horses of the day **** into the western sky
Now t'is time to be up and away, my nut brown lass and I

From daylight to starlight, to the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon

T'is pleasant with my nut brown lass when southern breezes blow
To tread the dewy meadow grass, cheerily, merrily Oh
To stoop amidst the golden rust my sickle in my hand
And scatter the scarlet poppy dust that reddens all the land

From daylight to starlight, to the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon

Bring out the bonny horse a meal and let the river flow
For the tipsy sun hangs over the dale cheerily, merrily Oh
The debalm and the honeyleaf, the poppy and the grain
All gathered in the scented sheaf to die upon the plain

From daylight to starlight, to the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon


and received the following reply on the origin from Pete MacGregor:


The tufted lark is over the plain the southern breezes blow
The dewbalms wet on the bending grain, cheerily, merrily Oh
The prancing horses of the day leap into the western sky
Now t'is time to be up and away, my nut brown lass and I

From daylight to starlight, thro' the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon

T'is pleasant with my nut brown lass when stormy winds do blow
To tread the dewy meadow grass, cheerily, merrily Oh
To stoop amidst the golden rust my sickle in my hand
And scatter the scarlet poppy dust that reddens all the land

From daylight to starlight, thro' the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon

Bring out the bonny horse a meal and let the river flow
For the tipsy sun hangs over the dale cheerily, merrily Oh
The dewbalm and the honeyleaf, the poppy and the grain
Are gathered in the scented sheaf to die upon the plain

From daylight to starlight, thro' the noisy heat of noon
No rest we'll find but to reap and bind till the coming of the moon

Alex got this from John Alderslade - Trowbridge Village Pump Festival, etc. - who set the poem by Will Meade to a tune he wrote. John thinks Will Meade probably reworked an earlier poem but can't remember where he saw it.

The song was recorded by John on a cassette tape - remember them? - and has been reissued on a CD put out on the Village Pump label but may be difficult to find.

I've changed the words above to show John's version but it's likely that Alex may have used 'Folk Process' on them.

He also posted an abc on that page, but he was new to abc, and said it needed tweaking to fit the words:


X:1
T: The Reaper
M: 4/4
L: 1/4
Q: 160
C: John Alderslade
K: C
G,|C C G G|F E/2 D/2 C C|G, C D C/2 B/2|C3
G,|C C G G|F E/2 D/2 2C|B2 A D|B/2 A/2 B C
C|E E F F|G E/2 D/2 C C|E E F G|3D
G,|C C G G|F E C C|G, C D B|3C