Origins: One I Love (Jean Ritchie)

Subject: Help: One i love/Third Carol
From:
Date: 19 Dec 98 - 01:02 PM

Hello,

I am looking for the lyrics (or even music) to two songs; if anyone has them could you contact me?

1. "Third Carol for Christmas Day", recorded by Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill on Windham Hill's album "Celtic Christmas". I think it's traditional.

2. "One, I love" by Karan Casey on her album Songlines. I don't know if it's traditional or not but if you have it....

Thanks a lot, I appreciate this.

Maja Gray

[e-mail]

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"Third Carol" thread (click)

Subject: Lyr Add: ONE, I LOVE (Karan Casey version)
From: alison....... still at another machine
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 12:42 AM

Hi

Beautiful song this one. I got it off a Celtic Tapestry CD. The words are as I hear them so feel free to differ.

Anyone know of any good Karan Casey CDs?

ONE, I LOVE
(as sung by Karan Casey)

One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.
All of my friends fell out with me
Because I kept your company.
Let them say whatever they will.
I love my love with a free good will.

One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.
They tell me he's poor, they tell me he's young.
I tell them all to houl' their tongue,
If they could part the sand from the sea
They never could part my love from me.

One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.
It's over the mountain he must go
Because his fortune is too low.
With an aching heart and a troubled mind
He's leaving his own true love behind.

Instrumental 1st line of verse X2

When I'm awake I find no rest
Until his head lies on my breast
When I'm asleep I'm dreaming of
My one, my dear, my own true love.

One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.
And when the fire to ice will run,
When the tide no longer turns
When the rocks melt with the sun
My love for you will have just begun.

One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.
One, I love. Two, she loves. And three, she's true to me.

Hopefully I'll get my computer to acknowledge that I exist again over the next few days..... apologizes to those who are waiting on tunes etc........

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 12:56 AM

alison,

You know it's not the same when you are not around.

Those are the words as I know them as well...

I am glad you started this.....she is a great singer. Saw her in New York at the Guinness Fleadh.

Take care, all the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 11:14 AM

Maja,
One I love was written (or adapted) by Jean Ritchie...harpgirl

Subject: Lyr Add: ONE, I LOVE (Jean Ritchie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 08:22 PM

Here's the Jean Ritchie version:
-Joe Offer-

ONE I LOVE
by Jean Ritchie
© Copyright 1964, 1971, Geordie Music Publishing

All of my friends fell out with me
Because I kept your company.
But let them say whatever they will.
I love my love with a free good will.
One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me.

They tell me he's poor, they tell me he's young.
I tell them all to hold their tongue,
If they could part the sand and the sea
Then they might part my love and me.
One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me.

For when the fire to ice will turn,
And when the icy sea will burn
And when those rocks will melt in the sun
My love for you has just begun.
One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me.

Over the mountains he must go
Because his fortune is so low.
With an aching heart and a troubled mind
For leaving his love so far behind.
One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me.

It's when I am awake I'll find no rest
Until your head lies on my breast,
And when I'm asleep I'm dreaming of
My one, my dear, my absent love.
One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me.

Source: Celebration of Life: her songs..her poems, by Jean Ritchie, 1971

Subject: Tune Add: ONE, I LOVE (Jean Ritchie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 02:03 AM

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:One I Love
M:3/4
Q:1/4=120
K:D
F3FF2|F4E2|C2D2C2|B,6|-B,4A2|A4B2|A4FE|D4E2|
F6|-F4F2|B4B2|F4F2|EA3A2|F6|-F4B,2|B,4F2|
F4DD|C2D2C2|B,6|-B,6|D6|-D4C2|B,6|D4C2|B,6|
A,4A,2|A,2B,2C2|B,6|-B,11/2||

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: GUEST,harpgirl
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 07:09 PM

I sure wish I could hear what Jean Ritchie has to say about this song. How do you suppose she plays it? I don't read Midi and I think the way I do it is probably not too close....hhmmmmmm harpgirl

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 07:17 PM

Hey harpy.......Why din't you PM her and tell her you refreshed this old one and I'm sure she'll have something to say on it. I'll go now without making any jokes about why this song may interest you.....................

Spaw

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 07:22 PM

Jean's version is in the DT. It's one I've been practising. I can't put my hands on it at the moment, but I am sure I learned it from a CD or tape of Jean singing it. Beautiful song!

kat

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: harpgirl
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 07:39 PM

Well, I got up my courage and I did it, Pat. Couldn't find it in the DT but I knew it was there somewhere. Hey, I need some jokes about my love life!!! It's a depressing situation!!!!! hg

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 04:16 PM

Thanks, Harggirl, for bringing this thread to my attention. Didn't know it existed...

"One, I Love," I recorded only on one album, a 1965 release (33 1/3 lp)for Warner Bros. Title: A Time For Singing- but it didn't stay around long; it probably cannot be found now. We have only a couple left, so can't let them go. Can get one onto tape for you for about $20 if you REALLY want it. It would be the entire album, no shipping charge, and this is strictly an offer- NOT a sales pitch so feel free to refuse! The way I play it is just a single descant, mainly on one string with an occasional strummed and/or running chord- my usual simple style.

It has been recorded more recently by many people, the ones who come to mind are, Carolyn Hester, Sally Rogers, Karen Casey and last year, Meav (of Riverdance fame).

Bengray- if you're still around- this happens to me all the time...I remember a long-ago workshop at the Mariposa Festival, I sang, "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore," and someone came up afterward and complimented my taste in having sung a Norman Blake song! Pretty shocking at first, and funny too, but a big compliment in a way I guess. I thought, Gosh, my song has really arrived!

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 04:47 PM

Ah, thanks, Jean. Your posting jogged my memory. It was Sally Rogers on a CD I learned it from.

Nice to see you back. How was the cruise?!

kat

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: harpgirl
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 06:05 PM

Thank you, Mrs. Ritchie! Actually, it is easier to tell you how I play it chordwise on autoharp. I'm happy with how it sounds until someone corrects me. Roughly,

Amin (All) C (fell) G (because) Amin (company) Amin (let them) C (say) Dmin (I love my love...) F (with a free good will)
and the chorus
...Amin C and G...

the song has so many familiar elements, I wonder what inspired you to write it? any other songs you heard? I would like to record it if I ever get a CD finished. Is that possible? Thanks.
harpgirl

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 17 Apr 01 - 02:33 PM

How/why written? A few years ago I was remembering listening to banjo-picking on Sunday afternoons- usually all boys & men sitting on a store-porch. No girls in our region played banjo then- it was considered unladylike! (Mom referred to it as a "low" instrument). One of the learnin pieces was a simple ditty-tune that had only one chord change, hardly any melody to it, and the learner would play that little tune over and over and over, finally he or some of the other's would throw in a four-line verse, to keep him going and help set the rhythm:

Alla m'frins fl'out with me
Cause I kep y'r company,
Let'm all say what they will
Love my love with a free goodwill!

I got that fragment on my mind, and thought it was a very good bit of poetry, and kept humming it around, washing dishes, etc., and because it was such a nothing tune, I slowed it down and put my own tune onto it, and the singing of it became so satisfying I put some other verses on the make it longer and sort of tell a story. You're right- I did use lines and images from older songs; they seemed to work best with the tune, but other verses are my own words(at least I think so...sometimes there are things in the subconscious- there, but not really remembered). As far as I know, The "Over the mountians," verse and the, "It's when I'm awake,"one are completely new. Of course, all the other verses are mine also,(with the exception of the first)- just using the older images and forms to string my thoughts together.

Hope this tells what you want to know. It must be passing as an "old" song, for when Caroline Hester recorded it, she said in the credit line that it was "Collected by Jean Ritchie." And thank you, Harpgirl, I would be honored to have you record it.

All the best, Jean

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: jeffp
Date: 17 Apr 01 - 02:53 PM

Jean, thank you for the "Story behind the song." My wife fell in love with this song on Karan Casey's CD and I was delighted to find this discussion on the Mudcat. I hadn't bothered to look for an attribution on the CD, just assuming it was traditional.

jeffp

Subject: RE: One i love/Third Carol
From: harpgirl
Date: 17 Apr 01 - 10:31 PM

Thanks so much, kytrad. Your story makes the song come alive in a special way! People always ask where it hails from when I do it! I greatly appreciate all your wonderful music! hrpgrl

Subject: RE: One I Love/Third Carol
From: GUEST,pkferret
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 08:36 PM

I have been looking for this song, to find out the Tittle of it. I knew who sang it, and maybe wrote it, but I wasn't sure of the tittle or if I had all the lyrics. Now I know. I have them all.

Subject: RE: One I Love
From: GUEST,jens
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 09:58 PM

Thanks for the lines. Just heard the song in webradio (sung by Karan) ... and wanted to see the lyrics again. Maybe my love will like this ... ;)

Subject: RE: One I Love
From: Azizi
Date: 19 Mar 09 - 10:22 PM

Even though it's just by way of the Internet,it's an honor to know Jean Ritchie, the composer of this song.

When the title of this thread, these words popped into my mind:

One I love two I love
mama dear and papa
Three I love me I love
and four my little brother.

-snip-

I have no idea how I learned that verse. But it has a tune that goes to it so I can know it wasn't from a book (since I can't read or write music).

Is that verse a variant of this same Jean Ritchie song?

Subject: RE: req/ADD: One I Love
From: Genie
Date: 20 Mar 09 - 01:56 PM

Kytrad, you say your mom considered the banjo a "low instrument."   Does anyone disagree?
; )

Thanks for this song and the story behind it.

Re copies of your recording, do you know any tech-savvy folks that might be able to make an mp3 from your record? (I'm guessing the two that you have are on vinyl?)

Genie

Subject: RE: req/ADD: One I Love
From: GUEST,CupofTea, no cookies, no scones either
Date: 21 Mar 09 - 12:58 PM

I suspect that many of the Irish performers picked up this haunting song from the singing of Frank Harte, as I did, over a decade ago at Augusta, in West VA. Though I'm an autoharp player, I prefer this acapella with lots of room for harmony on the refrain. (though it does sound wonderfully mournful on the bowed psaltry)

In my memory, Frank repeated the line: "One, I love. Two, he loves. Three, he's true to me" so that it was sung twice at the end of each verse

I'm not sure anymore if this is so... but it is how I remember it.

Joanne in Cleveland