Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)

Subject: Farewell, Farewell
From: GUEST,shona
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:25 PM

hi! um, i was wondering if anyone knew the lyrics to a song called farewell farewell? i have looked in the database but with no luck. The first few lines go something like - "Farewell farewell to you who are here, you lonely travellers all" it sounds sorta like an english song, but i could be wrong, i have it on cd (celtic ambience) and i've tried to learn it off that but its not really working as some words you can't really hear and understand that well. id be chuffed to pieces of someone had the words! thanks, Shona

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell, Farewell
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:39 PM

Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell, Farewell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 01:40 PM

Written by Richard Thompson, and set to a traditional tune (Fause Foodrage, though due to a mistake by Andy Irvine, everybody thinks it was Willy Of Winsbury).  It's in the DT; just type farewell farewell into the very useful "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell, Farewell
From: Noreen
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 02:29 PM

some words you can't really hear and understand that well

And even when you can hear them, some can't be understood that well- but that's RT for you... :0)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell, Farewell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Jul 01 - 03:20 PM

The DT transcription, incidentally, contains some mistakes, which are detailed in this previous discussion:  Fairport Convention 'Farewell, farewell'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Farewell, Farewell
From: GMT
Date: 10 Jul 01 - 06:03 AM

I believe this was written after Fairports van crash in tribute to the two who died. If the facts in the Sandy Denny biography are correct then Richard Thompson himself has never sung it.

Cheers Gary

Subject: farewell farewell
From: GUEST,gingerbitz
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:31 PM

Anyone know what this song is about ?(by Richard Thompson, and Fairport)

Subject: Lyr Add: FAREWELL FAREWELL (Richard Thompson)
From: Peace
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:32 PM

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travellers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

And will you never return to see
Your bruised and beaten sons?
"Oh, I would, I would, if welcome I were
For they love me, every one"

And will you never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be?
And can you never swear a year
To anyone of we?

"No, I will never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
But I'll swear a year to one who lies
Asleep along side of me"

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travellers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

Subject: RE: farewell farewell
From: pavane
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:36 PM

I thought it sounded like "Loath me, every one"

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Scrump
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 01:00 PM

It's "loathe me"

Subject: RE: farewell farewell
From: Gazza2
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 03:17 PM

I think it's " loath" too. No idea about the cloth and the light bit, but I've sung it for years and audiences tend to loll back and accept it as a song of mournful parting. Nice tune too.

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:01 PM

Thompson didn't even tell the rest of the band what most of his songs were about, so you probably won't get much help here.

The words are in the DT (see links above); they contain some mistakes, of course. Official lyrics are at the official Richard Thompson site: http://www.richardthompson-music.com/

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:14 PM

If you can get ahold of a copy of Clinton Heylin (sp??)'s biog of Sandy Denny ("No More Sad Refrains"), he discusses this song and its origins, at least to some extent. My copy is buried at the moment so I don't have it to hand to refer to, but hazy memory tells me it was fallout from that horrible van crash on the M1 which claimed two lives (including his girlfriend Jeannie Franklin). I can't be absolutely certain that I'm not conflating this with some other source, but the association sticks in my mind - though don't ask me to try to explain how it fits the lyrics!

Heylin's book is out of print as far as I know. Shame.

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:51 PM

Jeannie was a gifted clothes designer who ran her own boutique, and the band apparently used to call her Jeannie The Tailor (leading at least one journo to identify her as "Jeannie Taylor"). Cutting the cloth...?

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: pavane
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 02:07 AM

The tune is supposed to be Willie o'Winsbury, but I seem to remember reading that this was NOT really the correct tune to Willie o'Winsbury at all, but was used because someone made a mistake in reading the book, and sang Willie o'Winsbury to the wrong tune.

Does anyone know the rest of this story, and what the tune actually is?

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 02:29 AM

The tune is False (Fausse) Foodrage, Child 89. The story goes that it was Andy Irvine who, when copying out Willie Of Win(e)sbury, Child 100, used the wrong tune because the page blew back and he didn't notice.

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: gingerbitz
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 03:47 AM

Cheers! the accident connection does begin to make some sense, and at least i can give some sort of answer now when people ask me what I'm singing about, Thanks, GingerBitz(!)

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 08:08 PM

Andy was always perfectly open about having copied out the wrong tune, but was a bit coy about where he'd got it ("a book of old ballads", I think he said; and at the time quite a few people thought that was code for "wrote it meself").

So far as I can tell, I was the first person who actually bothered to find out; or at any rate the first to tell other people via the web. See Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads V, 416 (89C, 'Fause Foodrage') and 418 (100J, 'Willy O Winsbury').

See various past discussions for more.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: FAREWELL FAREWELL (R Thompson)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 11:25 PM

This has always been my favorite Fairport song. I looked on the internet but couldn't find chords for it. This is the best I could do with it, but I would welcome any corrections.


FAREWELL FAREWELL
by Richard Thompson

Fare(D)well, fare(A)well to you who would (E)hear
You (D)lonely (E)travellers (D)all
The (A)cold north (D)wind will (F#m)blow again
The (D)winding (E)road does (D)call

And will you (A)never return to (E)see
Your (D)bruised and (E)beaten (D)sons?
"Oh, I (A)would, I (D)would, if (F#M)welcome I were
For they (D)love me, (E)every (D)one"

And will you (A)never cut the (E)cloth
Or (D)drink the (E)light to (D)be?
And (A)can you (D)never (F#m)swear a year
To (D)any(E)one of (D)we?

"No, I will (A)never cut the (E)cloth
Or (D)drink the (E)light to (D)be
But I'll (A)swear a (D)year to (F#m)one who lies
A(D)sleep along (E)side of (D)me"

Farewell, fare(A)well to you who would(E) hear
You (D)lonely (E)travellers (D)all
The (A)cold north (D)wind will (F#m)blow again
The (D)winding (E)road does (D)call
End on (A)

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport
From: MBSLynne
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 02:31 AM

Isambarde have recorded it on their latest CD and my 11 year old daughter (ShadyLady) who is one of their biggest fans, sings it. When she stands up at a folk club and does it my heart wants to come out through my tear-ducts

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GMT
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:00 AM

I'm with Bonnie in that I have always believed it was written about the Van accident. Although RT wrote it I understand he has never puiblicaly performed it (I may be wrong).

Cheers
Gary

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:53 AM

Just to say that there is an excellent version of 'Farewell, Farewell' on Vicki and Trefor Williams' CD 'The Bare Branch' (101 Records, 101RECCD6)

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Scrump
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:24 AM

I've always believed the song was saying farewell to RT's girlfriend who died in the crash with Martin Lamble. I thought I'd read it somewhere years ago. The lyrics are probably deliberately impenetrable, but the refs to "winding road" and "north wind" make me think of the M1, where the accident happened. Maybe someone will recall if there was something in writing, maybe in a folk magazine or something?

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:07 PM

Yes, in Clinton Heylin's biog of Sandy Denny, as I mentioned in my posts above at 6:14 and 6:51.

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 04:56 PM

Danu does a fine version of this with a somewhat different arrangement from Fairport's and singer Muiranne Nic Amhlaoibh's performance stands up well next to Sandy's,IMO.vl

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 05:56 PM

It maybe arguable to distinguish the inspiration and the topic.

I had always assumed that the topic was the joys and sorrows of the itinerant labour force, well pre-industrialisation, and the possibility of forming a semi-permanent liason between lovers - the swearing of a year - to coincide with the labour contract.

The Marriage Acts are fairly recent, and I have heard it argued that the serf population (who, contrary to my thesis, could not have been itinerant) were regarded as deprived of the benefit of common law and were subject only to local customary law - which might or mgiht not ahve included permanent marriage. After all, if a person is but an animal, are animals given in marriage?

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport
From: GUEST,wolferun
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 11:45 AM

I've got the correct chords. Capo 3rd fret, D position.
A          D                      G flat minor
Farewell Farewell to you who would hear

      Bm      A      G
You lonely travelers all

    D          G       Gb m   Bm
The cold north wind will blow again


      E      Gb m       G
The winding road does call


You Tube: Mary Black -Transatlantic Sessions-Great Song

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 11:57 AM

I'm sure RT didn't intend this very beautiful song to be seen as a thesis for any uni course, just a song about parting and the sorrow thereof, much the same as Now Be Thankful is a song about faith.

Farewell, farewell to you who'd hear
You lonely travelers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

And will you never return to see
Your bruised and beaten sons
Oh I would, I would if welcome I were
For they loathe me every one

And will you never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
And can you never swear a year
To anyone but we

No I will never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
But I'll swear a year to one who lies
Asleep along side of me

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travelers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

[lyrics courtesy of Song-o-matic @ the official Richard Thompson website]

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 12:00 PM

If you want to play it on guitar, this OKish (if you're charitable) rendition on youtube should provide you with all you need to know.

Subject: RE: farewell farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 02:08 PM

and this is quite nice.

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,marconelli
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 08:13 PM

This is preposterous. Just listen to the 2 songs (many renditions available on Youtube) and it's obvious that the tune is Willy o'Winsbury -- note for note identical. Fause Foodrage sounds nothing like this. Where did this absurd story come from. Doesn't anyone who posts this stuff actually listen to the songs?

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,marconelli
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 08:17 PM

No, Andy Irvine had it exactly right. The tune is that of Willy o'Winsbury. Just listen to it -- there can be no dispute.

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 06 Oct 17 - 06:12 AM

This is indeed the tune that Andy Irvine set Willie o' Winsbury to.

Sweeney's Men - Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan and Terry Woods - recorded Willie o' Winsbury in 1968 for their first LP, Sweeney's Men.

Johnny Moynihan's then girlfriend Anne Briggs recorded this ballad too in 1971 for her first solo album, Anne Briggs.

The question is; Where did Andy Irvine find the tune?

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 06 Oct 17 - 06:30 AM

Here are some comments from the website Andy Irvine lyrics;

Willy O'Winsbury

This song was first recorded by Sweeney’s Men on their eponymous debut album in 1968, sung by Andy Irvine accompanying himself on guitar.

At the time, Johnny Moynihan stated on the sleeve notes: “A ballad for which Andy is renowned. He got the text from Child’s ‘English And Scottish Ballads’; looking up the tune he got his numbers confused and emerged with the wrong air. By chance it suited the song very well.”

In 2010, Irvine re-recorded the song with a fuller arrangement of the same tune on his album Abocurragh, adding: “This is Child 100. I collected the words from different versions and as the story goes, on looking up the tune, I lighted on the tune to number 101. I’m not sure if this is true but it’s a good story.”

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Brian Peters
Date: 06 Oct 17 - 06:38 AM

Where did Andy Irvine find the tune?

Most likely in F J Child's 'English & Scottish Popular Ballads', vol. 5 p. 416 (Dover edition), where it appears under 'Fause Foodrage'. There is a tune for 'Willie o' Winesbury' on p. 418, but it's not the one used for 'Farewell, Farewell'.

Oh, I've just noticed that the late Malcolm Douglas had already supplied that information ten years ago.

Guest 'marconelli' might want to do some checking next time, before making rude remarks about other people's contributions. Youtube is not the place to undertake ballad research.

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel
Date: 06 Oct 17 - 08:15 AM

My bet is the "Willie o' Winsbury" examples marconelli finds on YouTube are of people who learned the song (at however many removes) from Andy Irvine :-)

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 07 Oct 17 - 01:49 PM

and does it really matter Marconelli?????

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,Some bloke
Date: 09 Oct 17 - 03:03 AM

I used to sing Farewell Farewell. I still do occasionally sing Willie 0’ Winsbury.

Yes, they are similar ish tunes or indeed you could swap around. I wasn’t aware of any rules here. For what it’s worth I use different chording at cadence points but by the same token, I mix up the tunes I use for The Barleycorn and Stancil Hill. Possibly more too.

I doubt the usual “it says so by famous Irish people on the internet” influences any introduction I might give.

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 09 Oct 17 - 11:36 AM

Yes, worth re-reading the various replies ON THIS THREAD back in 2007 including those from Malcolm Douglas re the mix-up of tunes: sadly Malcolm is no longer with us, but was one of THE best authorities we've ever had on Mudcat for song and tune origins, and for his meticulous research. (And he was given to getting mighty tetchy at people who hadn't read threads properly! ;-) )

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,Tomscotland
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 06:57 PM

Gaughans version of Wo’W is the best rendition I’ve ever heard.

Subject: RE: Farewell Farewell (Richard Thompson & Fairport)
From: GUEST,Bardfollower
Date: 05 Jul 19 - 06:43 PM

John Goodluck did a fine version of Willie o'Winsbury too.