Lyr Req: Demeter's Daughter (Anne Lister)

Subject: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From:
Date: 06 Dec 98 - 06:48 PM

Can anyone give me the lyrics to Demeter's Daughter? I cannot find them anywhere!!

Thanks so much! Ayla

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: Barbara
Date: 06 Dec 98 - 08:12 PM

Is that Anne Lister? I've been looking for that one myself. There was a realplayer audio clip of part of it you could find through the Ladyslipper catalog. (someone else recorded it) Here's what Anne said about finding her music:
"Brief discography follows .... on cassette only - the album I did with Mary McLaughlin when we were the duo "Anonyma", which is called "Burnt Feathers". On the Fellside label.
And "No Signposts", my first solo album, which I'd dearly love to put on CD if ever I had the spare money (well, I can dream, can't I?). On cassette or CD - "Spreading Rings", "Flame" and the newest one, "Root, Seed, Thorn and Flower". All on my own label, Hearthfire. Most of these can be found with Canadian River Music in Amarillo - Danna Garcia ([e-mail]) is the person to check with. Anything she doesn't have - come back to me and we'll see what we can do, as I have a friend on the East coast who receives dollar checks for me and holds an unofficial bank account for whenever I need it.
Another source for the CDs is Anne Hill's Serpentine Music in CA (haven't got the address to hand, but let me know if you need it)."
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: McMusic
Date: 07 Dec 98 - 06:07 PM

If all else fails, check out Grace Griffith's first solo recording--it's on there.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: MMario
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 02:30 PM

refresh

Subject: Lyr Add: DEMETER'S DAUGHTER (Anne Lister)
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 03:12 PM

Maybe?

By UnknownAnne Lister
Date: 26 July 2000

DEMETER'S DAUGHTER

While picking flowers in the field
all in the springtime of the year,
I heard the sound of chariot wheels
and was afraid with nothing to fear.

And there he stood with his eyes like fire,
His face as dark as a night in hell,
And there he stood with his eyes like fire,
and said, "Fair Lady, I wish you well."

They say he forced me but that's not so --
Of my free will I followed him down
to his dark place beneath the hill,
to his dark palace below the ground.

And there he loved me and I loved him
though all the world there was icy dark
We never noticed the light was dim
for the bright flame inside our hearts.

They say above us the world grew cold,
the leaves and flowers began to die.
The fruit trees withered and grew old,
and dark'ning clouds covered all the sky.

My mother searched hard and tried to find
a pathway leading down from the sun,
and long she travelled with troubled mind
until she walked where we once had run.

I still remember the dreadful hour
she stood before us and bade me leave
Her dress of sunlight, her face a flower,
his face behind me so full of grief.

We made a bargain and made it sure,
we made a contract and made it sound --
that I would stay with her for half the year,
the other half come below the ground.

It was so good at first to see the sky,
to walk in sunlight and hear the lark;
but not so good to have to say goodbye
to my love down there in the dark.

Oh yes, it's true then that life is good,
and I've learned the lesson it can teach:
that you can never have all you want,
and you never want what's within reach.

The sweetest flower that ever bloomed
grows far deep inside a bush of thorns
And happiness then is like the rose,
for without pain nothing good is born.

To know the daylight you must know dark,
to know the flowers you must know weeds;
you cannot meet again unless you part,
or eat a pomegranate without seeds.

Oh yes, it's true then that life is good,
and I've learned the lesson it can teach:
that you can never have all you want,
and you never want what's within reach.

From:http://www.loveblender.com/2000august/heart/index.html

here, which has this to say about it:

"By Unknown. Submitted by Echolocation. Heard this at a Renaissance Festival, sung a capella by a lovely group of ladies called the Bawdy Balladeers -- wish I could include the tune. Gala's Persephone piece brought it to mind."

Subject: Lyr Add: Demeter's Daughter
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 03:13 PM

Damme. Forgot to do the Add in the subject box so here it is.......doh.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: MMario
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 03:24 PM

Thanks Sorcha! That is it, and the author is Anne Lister (the site is blocked from me...)

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 03:25 PM

Whoooopeee! Found another one!! It appears to be a RenFaire discussion board.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to Demeter's Daughter
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 03:38 PM

It's on a CD called Spreading Rings (HF002CD), which was recorded in 1992. Here is Anne Lister's own website, which has details of her records, and an order form, and so forth.

Subject: ADD: Demeter's Daughter (Anne Lister)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 21 - 10:24 PM

The recording of this song by the late Grace Griffith was very popular. Here are the lyrics from Anne's Bandcamp Website.:

https://annelister.bandcamp.com/track/demeters-daughter

DEMETER'S DAUGHTER
(Anne Lister)

Picking flowers in the field, in the springtime of the year
I heard the sound of chariot wheels, and was afraid with nothing to fear
And there he stood with his face like coal, his eyes as dark as a night in hell
And there he stood with his eyes like flames, and said "Fair lady, I wish you well."

They say he forced me, but that's not true - of my free will I followed him down
To his dark place beneath the hill, to his dark palace below the ground
And there he loved me and I loved him, though all the world there was icy dark
We never noticed the light was dim with the bright light inside our hearts.

They say above us the world grew cold, the leaves and flowers began to die
The fruit trees withered and grew old, and darkling clouds covered all the sky.
My mother worked hard and tried to find the pathway leading down from the sun
And long she travelled with troubled mind until she walked where we once had run.

I still remember the dreadful hour she stood before us and begged me leave
Her dress of sunlight, her face a flower, his face behind me so full of grief
We made a bargain and made it sure, we made a contract and made it sound
That I would stay with her for half the year, the other half come below the ground.

It was so good at first to see the sky, to walk in sunlight and hear the lark
But not so good to have to say goodbye to my love down there in the dark
Yes it's true then that life is good, and I've learnt the lesson it can teach
That you can never have all you want, and you never want what's within reach.

The fairest flower that ever grows, grows far deep inside a bush of thorns
And happiness then is like the rose, for without pain nothing good is born.
To know the daylight you must know dark, to know the flowers you must know weeds
You cannot meet again unless you part, or eat a pomegranate without seeds.

Kore, or Persephone, the daughter of the corn goddess Demeter, was carried off by Pluto, or Hades, the lord of the Underworld. The ultimate mother-in-law problem.