Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)

Subject: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:40 PM

Not really a lyric request... more a question ABOUT the lyrics...

There's the repeating line that sounds like
"Lay the bairn to the bonny broom"

1) Do you think that's REALLY the line?

2) If not, what do ya think the line is?

3) If so, what the HELL does it mean??

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:44 PM

a common burden line - I believe it is more normally seen as "lay the bend to the bonnie broom".

I'm trying to rememmber where I saw a discussion of this.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:48 PM

couple of opinions here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:53 PM

"Lay the BEND to the bonny broom"

Cool!

I like that...

I also like...

"But is it possible, just possible, that the phrase "lay the bend to the bonnie broom" refers to sweeping the floor, and has NOTHING to do with the narrative? "

Makes sense to me... It is a great song for singing while doing housework!

Ta yet again MMario!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:55 PM

Yes, definitely there was a discussion about this. Busy at work and can't stop to find it, but the discussion was that it really wasn't supposed to be "bairn" as in "baby or child" but "bent" as in the herb or grass - crossing bent and broom was supposed to ward off evil. I don't think everybody agreed with that explanation, however. I remember it was discussed pretty thoroughly. Clinton - I'm a real Old Blind Dogs fan too. I hadn't been able to find "Close to the Bone" but I ran across it when I was in Scotland and snapped it up - also "Legacy" which I didn't have. Their arrangements are just brilliant, as is their choice of material.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:01 PM

I've just been doing some searching and "Lay the bent" is much more common (at least on the internet - judging by the number of hits) then "lay the bend"

now if crossing bent (coarse grass) with broom wards off evil - then "Lay the bent to the bonnie broom" starts making a *lot* of sense...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:14 PM

The Old Blind Dogs seem to have learned the song from a Pentangle record, but without the benefit of the lyric insert that came with my copy. Pentangle set a Cruel Sister text to a Riddles Wisely Expounded tune and also borrowed the refrain from it; the song had not previously been sung to that tune,or with that refrain, so far as can be told. Bairn is a mis-hearing on somebody's part for Bent. The subject has been dealt with here at considerable length several times in the past.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Cruel Sister (esp. Old Blind Dogs)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:28 PM

"Lay the bent to the bonnie broom"

Neat... I like that too... the warding off evil thing is almost as cool as the sweeping the floor thing...

;-)