Lyr Req: Clyde Waters

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Reinhard
Date: 02 May 21 - 10:17 AM

It's a give and take, Joe. Quite a bit on MN is copied from Mudcat, too...

Subject: ADD Version: Clyde's Water
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 02 May 21 - 02:13 AM

The words to Martin Carthy's version can be found at:
https://mainlynorfolk.info/nic.jones/songs/thedrownedlovers.html

--Charlie Baum

---

Reinhard is happy to share what he's posted at Mainly Norfolk, so here's the version from there. -Joe-

Martin Carthy sings Clyde's Water	Nic Jones sings The Drowned Lovers
Willie stands in his own front door, He's clapping at his good steed; And down come his own mother And she would have him bide.	Willie sits in his stable door And he's combing his coal-black steed, And he's doubting on fair Margaret's love And his heart began to bleed
“Give corn to my good horse now, mother, Meat to my brother John, For I am away to my darling's house And I won't be back till morn.”	“Give corn unto my horse, mother, And meat to my man John, And I'll away to fair Margaret's bower Before the night comes on.”
“Stay at home with me, my darling, Stay at home with me, And the finest sheep in all of the flock Your dinner it will be.”
“Oh all your sheep and all your flocks I value not a pin, For I am away to my darling's house And I won't be back till morn.”
“Stay at home with me, my darling, Stay at home with me, And the finest cock in all of the roost Your supper it will be.”	“Oh stay at home with me, dear Willie, Oh stay at home with me, And the very best cock in all the roost For your own supper shall be.”
“Oh all your cocks and all your hens I value not a pin, For I am away to my darling's house And I won't be back till morn.”	“It's all your cocks in all your roosts I value not a pin, But I'll away to fair Margaret's bower Before the night sets in.”
“Stay at home with me, my darling, Son, stay with me, For if you leave this house this night My curse'll follow thee.	“If you go to fair Margaret's bower Without the leave of me, In the deepest part of the Clyde water Then drowned you shall be.”
“And if you go to your darling's house So sore against my will, From the deepest pot of Clyde water My curse'll keep you still.”	“Oh the good steed that I ride upon Cost me thrice thirty pounds, And I'll put trust in his swift feet To take me safe and sound.”
Now he went up yon high high hill And down by yonder glen, And the roaring that was Clyde water Would fear five hundred men.	He's ridden o'er the high, high hills And he's down the dewy den, And the noise that was in the Clyde water Would have feared five hundred men
“O roaring Clyde, you roar so loud, Your stream is wondrous strong, Make me your wreck when I come back But spare me if I come.”	“O roaring Clyde, you roar so loud Your streams are wondrous strong, Make me a wreck as I come back But spare me as I'm going.”
Now he come to his darling's house And he rung low at the ring, “Oh speed you and you, darling dear, Rise up and let me in.	Oh when he's got to Margaret's bower, He's turled low on the pin. “Oh wake up, me May Margaret, Rise up and let me in.”
“Oh rise and open the door, my darling, Rise and let me in, For my boots are filled with Clyde water I'm shivering to my skin.”	“Oh who is this at my bower door, A-calling May Margaret's name?” “It's only your first love, little William, This night come to her home.”
He thought it was his darling dear Rose up and let him in, He thought it was his darling dear But it was no such thing.	“Open your gates this night, Open and let me in, For me boots they are full of the Clyde water And I'm frozen to the skin.”
It was the voice of her mother, She sounded just the same, Saying, “The bowers are filled with gentlemen, They won't be gone till morn.”	“Me barns are full of corn, Willie, The stable's full of hay. And me bower's full of gentlemen, They'll not remove till day.”
“My curse be on you, false darling, And my curse be on you. I got our mother's malison For coming here to you.”	“Then it's fare thee well to you, May Margaret, It's fare thee well and adieu, For I have won my mother's own curse In coming this night to you.”
And he went up yon high, high hill And down by yonder glen, And the roaring that was Clyde water Took Willie's cane from him.	And as he's ridden o'er the high, high hill And down yon dowy den, And the rushing in the Clyde water Took Willie's cane from him.
He leaned from his saddle-bow To catch his cane again, And the roaring that was Clyde water Took Willie's hat from him.	And he's leaned him over his saddle-bow To catch his cane again, And the rushing in the Clyde water Took Willie's hat from him.
And he leaned out of the saddle-bow To catch his hat with force, And the roaring that was Clyde water Took Willie from his horse.	And he's leaned him over his saddle-bow To catch his hat by force, But the rushing in the Clyde water Took Willie from his horse.
His brother stood on the further bank, “Oh fie, and will you drown, Turn, turn to your high horse head And do learn how to swim.”
“How can I turn to my high horse head? How can I learn to swim? I got our mother's malison And it's here that I must drown.”
Now the very hour that Willie sank Into the pot so deep, His darling girl come wide awake From out her drowsy sleep.	And the very hour that young man sank Into the parts so deep, There up and awoke this May Margaret Out from her drowsy sleep.
“Oh mother dear I dreamed a dream, I dreamed it fierce and strong. I dreamed my darling come to the door, There was none would let him in.”	“Come here come here, my mother dear, And you read my dreary dream. I dreamed my lover was at our gates And nobody let him in.”
“Oh lie down, my own dear daughter, Lie and down and rest, Since your darling come to the door It's a full half-hour past.”	“Lie down, lie down, you May Margaret, Lie down and take your rest. And since your lover was at our gates It's but two quarters passed.”
So nimble, nimble she rose up, So nimble she put on. But the louder that this lady cried The louder blew the wind.	Then nimbly, nimbly rose she up, Went down to the river's brim, And the louder that this lady cried The louder grew the wind.
And she stepped in Clyde water And the water wet her feet, And sighing says this darling girl, “This water's wondrous deep.”	And the very first step that she went in, She stepped up to her feet, And it's “oh” and “alas,” this lady cried, “The water's wondrous deep.”
And she stepped in Clyde water And the water come to her knee, And sighing says this darling girl, “This water's deep for me.”	And the very next step that she went in, She's waded to her knee. Says she, “I would wade farther in If I my true love could see.”
And she stepped in Clyde water And the water come to her chin. From the deepest pot of Clyde water She pulled her darling man.	And the very next step that she went in, She's waded to her chin. And the deepest part of Clyde water She found sweet William in.
“Oh you have got one curse now, Willie, See I have another. And we will die in Clyde water Like sister and like brother.”	Saying, “ You have had a cruel mother, Willie, And I have had another. And now we'll sleep in Clyde water Like sister and like brother.”

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 May 21 - 04:51 PM

Martin Carthy sang a version of Clyde's Water today thatr had the phrase "roaring that was Clyde's water." Anybody have those lyrics?

This one? https://www.bartleby.com/243/90.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Sep 00 - 06:33 AM

Here are the notes from Carthy/Swarbrick, Skin and Bone:

Clyde's Water is an astonishing song of iron parental control. There is no question of the iron fist being encased in a velvet glove - the glove too is made of iron. I don't think that I have ever heard a song so relentless or so pared down. The tune comes from Christie's Ms with grateful thanks to Ethel Raim.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Lena
Date: 27 Aug 00 - 07:25 AM

Thanks everybody,as usual,for the assistance and the links(I was actually able to track another song I was looking for,so DOUBLE thanks...)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 11:33 AM

A transcription of the text Martin Carthy uses may be found at Gary Gillard's  Watersons  site, here:  Clyde's Water  He hasn't transcribed the sleeve-notes yet, though, and I don't have the record, so I can't tell you what Carthy's source was.  As to why it's not the same as Bronson's; well, traditional songs rarely exist in one version only!

See also  The Mother's Malison, or Clyde's Water  [Child 216] at  The Traditional Ballad Index

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Mbo
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 11:17 AM

Kate Rusby also does a version of this on her album Hourglass, except she calls it "The Drowned Lovers".

--Matt

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 11:14 AM

Recorded by Nathan D. Rose from the Traveller Stanley Robertson of Aberdeen, February 25, 1988.   More information about Stanley may be found here:  Scottish Traditional Tales: The Angel of Death  He's a wonderful storyteller.  His version of "The Clattering of the Clyde Waters" may be heard on Topic Records, TSCD 653: O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green -Tragic Ballads (Voice of the People, vol.3)  There is a review of the record at Musical Traditions,  here.

Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: CLYDE'S WATER
From: Pene Azul
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 09:17 AM

CLYDE'S WATER

I hae a steed in my stable
Cost me twice twenty pounds
And I'll put trust in his four legs
That he'll carry me safe tae the land.

Now he's gaed oer yon high high hill
And doon yon dowie den
And the clatterin o the Clyde's waters
Twould fear ten thousand men

Spare me, spare me, Clyde's waters,
O spare me as I gang
Ye can mak me a wreck when I come back
But spare me as I gang

When he got tae his Maggie's bower
"O Maggie let me in
For my boots are full of the Clyde's waters
And I'm tremblin tae the chin."

My loft is full o hay and corn
My stable's full o steed
And my bower is full o gentlemen
And they won't remove tonight.

He turned his horse round about
Wi a salt tear in his ee
For it's Goodbye, false Maggie, he cries
And it's Goodbye, Maggie, cries he

And he's gaed oer yon high high hill
And doon yon dowie den
And the clatterin o the Clyde's water
Twould fear ten thousand men

His first step into Clyde's water
Ta'en William's hat frae him
And the clatterin o the Clyde's water
Ta'en William's cane frae him

William bent close oer his horse
To catch his hat by force
And the clatterin o the Clyde's waters
Ta'en William frae his horse

William's brother was on the bank
--O William will ye droon?
For if ye catch haud o yer stallion's heid
He'll learn ye how to swim

How can I catch my stallion's heid
And he learn me tae swim?
For sleep and wake false Maggie dear
For she wadnae let me in.

Now she's gaed oer yon high high hill
And doon yon dowie den
And the deepest pools into Clyde's water
She found her William in.

William, William, please forgive
Forgive for nae comin doon
For it's here that we'll get wi your stepmother's prayers
And it's here that we'll baith maun droon.
^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Clyde Waters
From: Pene Azul
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 09:15 AM

There is a "Clyde's Water" here in the DigiTrad: THE MOTHER'S MALISON (Clyde's Water),
and another one on this page.
As far as I can tell, we don't have this one, so I'll post it below.

PA

Subject: Clyde's Water
From: Lena
Date: 26 Aug 00 - 06:45 AM

Why,why Martin Carthy's Clyde's Waters is different from Bronson's version and can anyone help me finding his lyrics?!

Danka

Lena