It's a folk song from the UK, I did a little researching.
It's a folk song from the UK, I did a little researching.
"Grammery" is sorcery; the lady sent her children away to learn sorcery -- she was a witch.
The "lark" is the bubonic plague (the Black Death), so her children died of the plague while learning witchcraft.
"Grammery" is sorcery; the lady sent her children away to learn sorcery -- she was a witch.
The "lark" is the bubonic plague (the Black Death), so her children died of the plague while learning witchcraft.
The children come back to her as ghosts. I'm not actually sure about the table being set and the beds being made. Perhaps she doesn't realise her children are dead, or perhaps she is preparing a burial ceremony for them. The "winding sheet" would refer to a shroud...
The children come back to her as ghosts. I'm not actually sure about the table being set and the beds being made. Perhaps she doesn't realise her children are dead, or perhaps she is preparing a burial ceremony for them. The "winding sheet" would refer to a shroud in any case, whether intentional by the lady or not.
I'm not sure what it is Joanna Newsom sings, but the original song says "cold clods," not "clogs." Referring to the cold earth of the grave.
"Wet" rather than "wed" makes more sense in my mind. "Wed" makes me think of Antigone.
How come it says there are 42 comments. Where'd they all go? Anyway, this is an old traditional, right? Anybody know where from? Any story?
It's a folk song from the UK, I did a little researching.
It's a folk song from the UK, I did a little researching.
"Grammery" is sorcery; the lady sent her children away to learn sorcery -- she was a witch. The "lark" is the bubonic plague (the Black Death), so her children died of the plague while learning witchcraft.
"Grammery" is sorcery; the lady sent her children away to learn sorcery -- she was a witch. The "lark" is the bubonic plague (the Black Death), so her children died of the plague while learning witchcraft.
The children come back to her as ghosts. I'm not actually sure about the table being set and the beds being made. Perhaps she doesn't realise her children are dead, or perhaps she is preparing a burial ceremony for them. The "winding sheet" would refer to a shroud...
The children come back to her as ghosts. I'm not actually sure about the table being set and the beds being made. Perhaps she doesn't realise her children are dead, or perhaps she is preparing a burial ceremony for them. The "winding sheet" would refer to a shroud in any case, whether intentional by the lady or not.
I'm not sure what it is Joanna Newsom sings, but the original song says "cold clods," not "clogs." Referring to the cold earth of the grave. "Wet" rather than "wed" makes more sense in my mind. "Wed" makes me think of Antigone.