Origin: Lavender's Blue

Subject: Help. Lyric History Required.
From: Dusty
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 04:47 PM

Can anyone out there help me in my search? I am trying to discover the history behind the lyrics: 'Lavender's Blue, Dilly, Dily, Rosemary's Green'. I've got the words and the tune, but don't know where the song originated, or what it's really about.

Subject: RE: Help. Lyric History Required.
From: Graham Pirt
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 05:11 PM

Not totally sure, it's a song from the north-east of England (tho' I'm sure others will lay claim!). It may be that the herbs are used in the verses to ward off the devil, much as in the burden in the "fause Knight on the Road" ballads (such as Whittingham Fair, Scarborough Fair etc)

I've sung this since a child to a tune my grandfather sang which tends to be different to that sung in more common parlance.

Graham

Subject: RE: Help. Lyric History Required.
From: Bruce O.
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 05:12 PM

There's an old thread here on the subject, and the 17th century version is in the file Scarce Songs 1 on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE: Help. Lyric History Required.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 05:22 PM

Click here and here for previous threads.
-Joe Offer-