Lyr Req: I sowed the seeds of love

Subject: I sowed the seeds of love
From: DADGAD
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 09:45 PM

I sang with Cyril Tawney in Devonport Plymout in the late 60's - he sang this song and I would like to trce the words. Can you help

"I sowed the seeds of love and I sowed them in the springtime . . . etc!" Gerry [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 09:57 PM

You might like to start by looking at the version on the DT:  The Seeds of Love.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 10:32 PM

I can see why Malcolm doesn't want to do a bibliography on this one. It would take practically forever.

Lets try a few earlier versions. On the Bodley Ballads website put 'seeds' as keyword in for Search in one title/1st line/tune box and 'love' in the other. Next put 'sprig' in the fist box and 'thyme' in the 2nd.

Also see the 17th century version of 'The Gardener's Lad' in the Scarce Songs 1 file on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: hesperis
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 11:49 PM

I love the version done by Loreena McKennitt on her CD 'A Winter Garden'. She rewrote the melody though, I think.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Aug 00 - 12:40 AM

"Seeds of Love/ Sprig of Time/ Gardener's Lad" and over a dozen other titles are #3 in Steve Roud's folk song index. My count was 197 versions, but this includes about 8 to 12 broadside copies, and I discovered yesterday that there are a fair number of duplicate records in the file (which he has now been informed of). As a rough estimate then there are probably about 155-175 traditional versions indexed.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Aug 00 - 04:25 PM

My humble retraction. There aren't duplicates in Steve Roud's folk song index. My ASKSAM 3 database system is duplicating records already read in.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Aug 00 - 04:32 PM

Has anyone ever tried looking through the various versions from a horticultural point of view? Do the flowers in the song vary in different countries and different periods?

And how do Australians cope with the seasons being the other way round, with flowers blooming in December instead of June? And so forth.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 17 Aug 00 - 01:33 AM

Further errata. The ASKSAM database system is OK. A hardware glitch fouled up a control or flag bit so the ASKSAM program didn't know it had already read a block of 7728 records, and read them again.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: BigDaddy
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 01:18 PM

DADGAD, A version of "I Sowed the Seeds of Love" was included in the original motion picture soundtrack for "Far From The Madding Crowd." It was sung by Trevor Lucas. Judging by the time frame you're talking about, I believe this may be the version you're looking for. Th well-known Scottish singer Isla Cameron selected the songs and musicians for the folk music in the film. If you need a transcription of these lyrics let me know. The soundtrack album was remastered and re-released in 1991 on CD, and is well worth owning (in spite of some absolutely awful cover art). Cheers.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: The Lighthouse
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 11:18 PM

Tommy Makem sang this on a Clancy Brother album "The Bold Fenian Men" back in 1969. If you haven't found the lyrics yet I can get them for you.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: Anglo
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 11:49 PM

"Somewhere" I have an old reel-to-reel tape with Cyril singing this. He had a nice guitar arrangement, and uses the famous tune collected by Cecil Sharp, pretty much the first one listed above in Malcolm Douglas' blue clicky with the filename: Tune file : SEEDLOVE.2

Text differences I remember:

I don't think he sang the 2nd verse, My garden was planted well...

The gardner was standing by, and I asked him to choose for me...

I pulled and I tugged at that red rosy bush till I gained the willow tree

I think he sang: back in that young _man's_ arms

And an extra verse:

So come all you false young men (maids?)
Don't leave me hear to complain
For the grass that has often times been trampled underfoot
Give it time, it will rise again.

Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: KathWestra
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 01:48 PM

BigDaddy, thanks for reminding me about the version of "Seeds of Love" in "Far From the Madding Crowd." I loved that movie, and the music was a big part of what made the film so special. I was inspired to learn "Through Bushes and Briars" by that movie -- and still sing it 20 years later. Kathy

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: BigDaddy
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 01:58 PM

Kathy, I was inspired to learn "The Jolly Tinker" by that movie and still sing it (though of course it depends on the audience), as well as "The Bold Grenadier." I have yet to find any recordings of Isla Cameron, but she is spoken of fondly by Dave Swarbrick (who played fiddle in same film) and June Tabor for whom she was an early influence. Jay

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: Anglo
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 03:35 PM

Isla Cameron made a couple of LPs as I remember; a young Isla can be heard singing 3 songs on the England volume of the Columbia World Library of Folk and Primitive Music, now a CD in the Rounder/Lomax series. I always assumed she was there as some sort of reward for A.L. having his way with her, but what do I know?

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: BigDaddy
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 03:42 PM

Anglo, thanks for the lead. Maybe we should start a thread on "Great folk song moments in film?"

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 11:13 PM

There are also copies of "Bushes and Briers {sic)" on the Bodley Ballads website.

Subject: RE: Help: I sowed the seeds of love
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 23 Aug 00 - 11:40 PM

G'day Anglo,

" ... I always assumed she was there as some sort of reward for A.L. having his way with her ..."

Well, that sounds appropriate for a thread entitled Help: I sowed the seeds of love!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton