/folk/ - Folk Music

Another with lyrics by Kipling, sung and arranged by Bellamy.

"Our Fathers of Old"

A very powerful song called the Ballad of Roland. This rendition is sung in Norwegian.

Six men stayed behind

To guard their gold;

The other six in heathen lands

Brandished cold steel.

They rode out of Frankish lands

With spoils in their saddles.

Blow your horn, Olifant,

At Roncevaux.

They fought at Roncevaux

For two days, if not three;

And the sun could not shine clear

Through the stench of men's blood.

They rode out of Frankish lands…

Roland placed the horn to his bloodied mouth

And blew with all his might.

The earth shook and mountains resounded

For three days and nights.

They rode out of Frankish lands…

"Byker Hill" is a traditional English folk song about coal miners. This is the best rendition I can find of it, this particular youtuber does several ancient folk songs like this.

Barbara Allen was first referenced in written text in 1666, who knows how long its been around. I think the melody and lyrics are haunting, the age only adds to the feel of it.

Maire Mor is an Irish song about a man cheating on his wife I think

I adore the instruments, and her voice

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" is an Irish ballad written by Robert Dwyer Joyce (1836–1883), a Limerick-born poet and professor of English literature. The song is written from the perspective of a doomed young Wexford rebel who is about to sacrifice his relationship with his loved one and plunge into the cauldron of violence associated with the 1798 rebellion in Ireland. The references to barley in the song derive from the fact that the rebels often carried barley or oats in their pockets as provisions for when on the march. This gave rise to the post-rebellion phenomenon of barley growing and marking the "croppy-holes," mass unmarked graves into which slain rebels were thrown, symbolizing the regenerative nature of Irish resistance to British rule. As the barley will grow every year in the Spring time of the year this is said to symbolize Irish resistance to British oppression and that Ireland will never yield and will always oppose British rule on the island.

"Star of the County Down" is an old Irish ballad set near Banbridge in County Down, in Northern Ireland. The words are by Cathal McGarvey (1866–1927) from Ramelton, County Donegal.[1] The tune is similar to that of several other works, including the almost identical English tune "Kingsfold", well known from several popular hymns, such as "Led By the Spirit". The folk tune was the basis for Ralph Vaughan Williams' Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus.

Tramps and hawkers