Origins: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,norma jean
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 01:01 AM

we learn this at my camp!
its the very last song we sing when we go to sit down for goodbyes
we walk down in twos!!
i love it!!!!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Aug 07 - 06:31 PM

rose, rose, rose, rose,
will I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at my will,
sire, at my will.

ding, dong, ding, dong,
wedding bells on an April morning,
carve thy name on a moss-covered stone,
on a moss-covered stone.

Hey ho, nobody's home,
meat nor drink nor money have I none,
still I will be very merry,
hey ho, nobody's home.

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
dig it with a golden spade,
bring some friends and a morning dove,
to show my die for love.

Au poor bird,
take thy flight,
high above the sorrows,
of this cruel dark night.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Rainel
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 09:40 PM

Well I heard these verses. Don't ask me where. I believe we sang them at camp.

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Ding dong, ding dong
wedding bells on an April morn
Carve thy name in a moss covered stone
a moss covered stone

Hey ho nobody home
food nor drink nor money have I none
Yet I will be very very merry
Hey ho nobody home

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
dig it with a golden spade,
bring some friends and a morning dove,
to show my die for love.

Ding dong, ding dong
Funderal bells on a September morn
Rose oh rose is dead and gone
sire dead and gone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Cathedral
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 09:53 PM

I'm pretty sure this is the original version, extant in medieval England and still used by folk singers as a round (ie song which, sung by different voices starting the same melody at different times, provides its own harmony). Every line ends with the same rhyme, which makes for a pleasing choral blend when sung.

Rose, rose, rose red,
Will I ever see thee wed?
"I'll marry you", she said,
"When thou art dead".

DCDA
DDEEFGFE
aBaBCBa
FEDA

Those are the pitches for each line. It's in 2/4 and lines 1 and 4 both only contain crotchets (quarter notes). There are 2-note melismas on "thee" in line 2; and on the second syllable of "marry" in line 3. Small case "a" stands for the higher octave. Any musician worth his salt ought to be able to work the rest out from this!

Enjoy.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,stacy california
Date: 26 Oct 07 - 05:04 AM

another verse I've heard after hey-ho is

free, free, free to live,
free to love, and free to give,
don't look back, look on to tomorrow
cause your free, free, free, free.

and then comes oh poor bird..

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:33 AM

Rose Rose Rose Red,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will sir,
Marry at thy will.

Ding dong ding dong,
Wedding bells on a warm April morn,
Carve your name on a moss covered stone
A moss covered stone.

Ding dong ding dong
Funeral bells on a cold December morn,
Rose my love is dead and gone
Is dead and gone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,me
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:25 AM

i thought the lyrice were:

rose, rose, rose red
shall i ever see thee wed?
aye, amrry, that i shall;
when thou art dead!

we sing it as a round and we start off slow and classical and then change to upbeat, jazzy swing style. oh well!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Catfeet
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:01 PM

Here's another multi-year thread on just this topic. http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1143

Catfeet

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: MMario
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:10 PM

yes - the link to that thread is already listed at the top of the thread. where it says "related threads"

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Sakuraishakowa
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 03:47 PM

I have only heard one version of the song at summer camp.

Rose, rose, rose, rose Will I ever see thee wed? I will marry at thy will sire At thy will.

Ding, dong, ding, dong Wedding bells on an April morn. Carve thy name on a moss coverd stone On a moss covered stone.

I used E D E (low)B E E F# F# G A G F# (high)B (high)B A A G A G F# (low)B C D F# C

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: trevek
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 05:07 PM

I haven't seen it writtn, but I assumed the version I know goes:

Rose, Rose, Rose Red,
Shall I ever see thee wed,
Aye, marry that I shall,
When thou art dead.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Kara
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 05:52 AM

I always thought it was a death treat/murder ballad

Rose rose rose rose
shall I ever see thee red?
I parry that I will
when thou art dead...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,J & S
Date: 17 Jul 08 - 09:21 PM

Rose Rose Rose Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I shall marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

Rose rose rose rose
You shall wed the duke of york
He shall be your loving lord
Your true and loving lord

Rose rose rose rose
This shall be your wedding day
The duke of york in bright array
The duke in bright array

There are more verses but my husband can't remember them.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,kata
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 12:09 PM

I learned it

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will
Sire at thy will

Ding dong, ding dong
Wedding bells on a september morning
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 08:46 AM

this is just how i know it.

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at that I will.
That I will.

Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong.
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve your name on a moss covered stone,
A moss covered stone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Marymac90
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 02:33 PM

Stormi Night, you are the only one to have a version close
to the one I learned from the activists I hung around with
in the 70's and 80's. I don't know if that's a regional
thing or what? It went:

Love, love, love, love
People, we were made for love
Love each other as ourselves
For we are one

Marymac

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Shay
Date: 07 Nov 08 - 06:04 PM

I only learned two verses, but at camp, we learned it like this:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will,
Sire, at thy will.

Ding, dong, ding, dong,
Wedding bells on a September morn.
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone,
On a moss covered stone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,buck 'beau' blake
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 07:04 PM

rose, rose, rose red,
shall i ever see thee wed?
ah, marry that i shall,
when thou are dead

it rhymes and everything, unlik those other sorry excuses.
there's some kind of othere, higher, melody which is sung over it, i can't recall the words now.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 02:28 PM

There's another verse I came across.

Rose, Rose, Rose, white,
Will you be my love tonight?
I will love thee at thy will, sire,
at thy will.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,kait
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 01:36 AM

my friend taught me that version of the song when we were in elementary school together in germany. those are the lyrics i learned.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Sara
Date: 07 Oct 09 - 04:31 PM

A version I learnt in Drama was: Rose, rose, rose, red Shall I ever see thee wed? I will marry when thou wilt When thou art dead.

Also, I love Emilie Autumn's version ('Rose Red') Anyone know it? (:

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Juanita
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 03:05 AM

I know it as:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
When will I see the red?
I'll marry, art thou wilt
When thou art dead

Rose, rose, rose, rose,
When will I see thee dead?
I'll marry, art thou wilt
When thou art dead.

Its apparently about the war between the Red roses, and the white roses in the Dark Ages.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Rai
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 04:19 PM

One verse that I learned that has appeared here only as a slight variant is this:

Ding-dong, Ding-dong
Funeral bells on a September morn
Rose's roses are dead and gone, sire
Dead and gone

Also, I don't know if this was from another song and my friends just threw it in there, but after the verse with the moss-covered stone, we would sing:

The wind in the willows blows like a solitary song
The wind in the willows blows like a solitary so-o-ong

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Inscrutable Ted
Date: 05 Dec 09 - 09:26 PM

The version I learnt in high school drama class was:

Rose, rose, rose, red
Will I ever see thee wed?
Aye, marry, that thou wilt
When I am dead

It was explained to us that the word "marry" in the third line is the archaic interjection meaning "indeed!" and, confusingly, has nothing to do with "marry" in the sense of marriage (though the rest of the song is about that).

We were told the song was about a woman refusing to get married, and she's saying the only time she'll be "married" is when she's dead, which she sees as being married to death.

I learn this version in Queensland, Australia.

By the way, I'm finding all these subtle variations of the song fascinating. It's amazing how much the meaning can change with just a few changed words, or by substituting homophones.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 01:12 AM

rose rose rose rose,                                                 will i ever see thee wed,                                              I shall marry at thy will,                                           sire at thy will                                       

thou poor bird where art thou,                                     flying in the shadows at this                                        late hour

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,sarah
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 05:12 PM

we used this to warm up our vocals.... in drama class xx

Rose, Rose, Rose, rose,
Will you be my love tonight?
I will love thee at thy will,
I will love thee.

rose,rose,rose,rose rose
shall i ever see thee wed
i marry at thou will
when thou art dead.

rose,rose,rose,rose
shall i ever see thee wed
i marry at thou will
when thou art dead.....

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Phoenix
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 11:46 PM

The version I have learned tells a story. Obviously there are variations available:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will,
sire, at thy will.

I won't be my father's Jack
I won't be my mother's Jill
I will be a fiddler's wife
And fiddle where I will

Ding dong, ding dong,
Wedding bells on an April morn.
Carve her name on a moss-covered stone,
On a moss-covered stone.

Come, come, come everyone,
Join us in our happy home.
Come celebrate the birth of our son,
Our first-born son.

Gloom, gloom, sadness and doom,
My Rose fell ill at the harvest moon.
Chills and fever tortured her so.
Lord why my Rose...

Ding dong, ding dong,
Funeral bells on a September morn,
Rose my love is dead and gone,
sire, dead and gone.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 08:54 PM

Emilie Autumn version with displayed lyrics

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Megan
Date: 02 May 10 - 02:47 PM

We did it like this in my musical theatre group:

Rose, rose, rose red
Shall I ever see thee wed?
I marry at thy will, sire
At thy will

The wind in the willows
Sighing like the solitary soul alone
The wind in the willows
Sighing like the solitary soul alone

Black birds wings
Take thy flight
High above the sorrow
Of this black night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 01:03 PM

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I'll marry, yes I will
When thou art dead.

This is the version that's banging around in Tasmania at the moment. I remember that I learnt it differently about ten years ago, but for the life of me can't remember the differences....

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,elmo
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 08:06 PM

The version i learned at girl scout camp was: Rose, Rose, Rose Red will I ever see thee wed? I will marry at thy wil, sire. At thy will

Ding dong, ding dong Wdding bells ring on an April morning. Carve thy name on a moss covered stone On a mosss covered stone

Hey, Ho nobody's home Eat, nor drink, nor money have i none But still I will be married Hey ho nobody"s home

Ding dong ding dong Church bells ring on a december morning Rose, rose, rose is dead and gone my love dead and gone.

Mother father dig my grave. Dig it with a golden spade Bring some friends and a mourning dove to show i died for love

Ah poor bird take thy flight high abover the sorrows Of this dark night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Guest Z
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 05:20 PM

I know a version from my acting group that goes like this:

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will
Sire, at thy will

Ding Dong Ding Dong
Wedding Bells on a September morning
Carve your name in a moss-covered stone
in a moss covered stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,KT
Date: 28 Oct 10 - 01:33 PM

has anyone else heard another verse?

America, America
Let me tell you how I feel
you have given me your treasure
And I love you still?

It was the 3rd verse in a version I heard after the standard "rose" verse, then "ding dong".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 06:51 PM

I have been trying to work out what the words are top this song as we sing it every year at school, but even though I have asked the teachers no one seems to know the words. We sing the first verse

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee red (wed?)
I'll marry at thy will (that I will?)
If thou does stay (say?)

and we just repeat it but some of the other verses are really beautiful. Dose anyone know where I can get a recording of it?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 10 - 08:40 PM

rose,rose,rose,rose will i ever see thee wed i will marry at thy will sire at thy will

aw poor bird take thy flight fly high above the rocks and trees on this sad night

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 10 - 01:43 AM

The version I know is Rose, Love, and then the America verse but we sing it

America America
Let me tell you how I feel
You have given all your treasures
I love you still

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:53 PM

The version I learned in Girl Scouts in the 60s & 70s is:

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Shall I ever see the wed?
I will marry at thy will,
Sire, at thy will.

America, America,
Shall I tell you how I feel?
You have set me free;
I love you so.

We would sing it as a round.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 08:32 PM

I was taught it to be this,
Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose..
Will I ever see thy red?
I will marry by thy will sign..
By thy will sign...
Carve my name in a moss covered ro-ck
Moss covered rock...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 11 - 10:50 AM

The one i heard went like this:

Rose rose rose rose

will i ever see thee wed

I will marry at thy will sire

at thy will

When i meet the man i love

and he wants to marry me

I will marry at the temple

for eternity

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:03 PM

I used to sing this sing in Camp Sherman at GS camp. Anyone found the tune?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:14 PM

When I was with the original Notts Alliance group, then residents of the NTMC,we used to sing this as
             Rose, Rose, Rose Rose
             Shall I ever see thee wed?
             Aye, marry, that thou may
             If thou but stay.


   We also sang
                Hey Ho, nobody at home
                Meat nor drink nor money have I none
                Yet will I be merry.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:19 PM

A tune on youtube.
Several.
try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BNQSqq0ICI

Seek and ye shall find.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Holly F
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 10:46 AM

I was taught this at a drama workshop
Rose Rose Rose, Red
Will I ever see the wed?
I marry that thou wilst,
When I am dead.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Lorelei
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 05:19 PM

"Rose, Rose, Rose Red,
Will I ever see thee wed?"
I will marry at my will, sire,
At my will.

Ding dong, ding dong,
Wedding bells on an April morn',
Carve thy name on a moss covered stone
On a moss covered stone.

Peace, peace, peace, peace,
Wars will come and wars will go,
I will wait for you 'til the end,
Peace, peace, peace.

Mother, Father, dig my grave,
Dig it with a golden spade,
Bring some friends and a turtle dove
To show that I died for love.,
To show that I died for love...

I learned the song as a story about a girl who, despite the traditions of her time, decides to marry the man of her choosing, knowing that it is best to marry for love, (the first stanza sort of acting like a conversation she has with her father or someone wondering why she is not married yet. She finally finds love, and marries, but shortly after her husband must leave for war, and they promise to wait for each other until he comes home.

The last stanza can go two ways: The first is that it is sung by the man who went off to war but ends up dying, having gone off to war in order to protect his love. The other way is that the girl finds out that her husband died in the war, and she herself dies of heartbreak/kills herself, and they are buried together.

Of course this is just one interpretation of the song, and only a few of the many verses that have been added over the years.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 11:25 PM

I heard the song was about the Rose wars

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,GS
Date: 15 Jan 12 - 08:19 PM

I learned this from girl scout camp:

Rose rose rose rose
will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will, sire,
at thy will.

Ding dong ding dong
wedding bells on a April morn
crave thy name on a moss covered stone
on a moss covered stone.

Hey ho nobody home
meat nor drink nor money have we none
still I will be very very merry
hay ho nobody home

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Mar 12 - 02:38 PM

does anyone know the sign language to this song? We learned it in GS camp but cannot remember. I want to teach it to my troop.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Belinda
Date: 20 Oct 12 - 02:47 AM

We were taught
Will I ever see thee red (the girl was talking to a rose)
I will marry at thy wilt (when it wilted she would marry against her will)

And she was talking about her moss covered grave stone

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Ninjaneon1434
Date: 05 Apr 13 - 07:15 PM

Rose rose rose rose
                      shall I ever see thee wed
             I shall marry at thy will sire at thy will.

                        Now I walk in beauty
                         beauty is before me
                        beauty is behind me
                         above and below me

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose (Traditional)
From: GUEST,Lavengro
Date: 06 Apr 13 - 10:40 AM

This is an example of a medieval English song that has not survived the translation into American English.

Rose, rose, rose, rose
Shall I ever see thee red
Aye, marry, that thou wilt,
An thou but stay.

Aye means 'yes' and at the time of the Wars of the Roses, when the red rose represented the royal house of Lancaster and the white rose was York, 'marry' meant 'certainly' and 'an' was 'if.'
In modern English, then, the last two lines mean 'Yes, certainly you will, if you only stay.'
The song was probably meant to echo the words of a Lancastrian Tudor when the Yorkists were in power.