Sorry, Mrrzy!

But sometimes ya never know! Between various interpretations of terms with two or more possible meanings(e.g., "round"), or with Mondegreens, or, for that matter, mishearing the lyrics, I've heard some pretty wild interpretations. Case in point: In The Coffee House Song Book, the opening verse to "The Bonnie Ship the Diamond" reads

The Diamond is a ship, my lads,
For the Davis Strait she's bound,
And the quay it is all garnishèd
With forty lashes 'round.

Now, considering the context, what in the blazes is that supposed to mean? "Forty lashes?"

The verse should read

The Diamond is a ship, my lads,
For the Davis Strait she's bound,
And the quay it is all garnishèd
With bonny lasses 'round.

Another wowzer is found in "The Unquiet Grave."

One verse starts out

Down in yonder grove, sweetheart
Where we were wont to walk,
The fairest flower that 'ere I saw
Is witherèd to a stalk.

There's a misprint in Cecil Sharp's One Hundred English Folk Songs. One lousy letter! In the book, the same verse goes

Down in younder grave, sweetheart
Where we were wont to walk. . . .

Walking in a grave? Strange place for two lovers to go walking. And it must have been a pretty short walk. 6' x 6' x 2'.

I've heard several people, including Joan Baez, sing the line with the word "grave" rather than "grove."

Not thinkin'. Even if it is in the book!

So, ya just never know, sometimes. . . .

Don Firth