Blood on your Shirtsleeve (Lestat)

Traditional ballad, "Edward" performed by James Yorkston:

http://www.myspace.com/jamesyorkston

Lyrics:

How came that blood on your shirtsleeve?
Oh, dear love, tell me.
Oh, it's the blood of the old grey mare
That ploughed the fields for me, me, me,
Ploughed the fields for me.

How came that blood on your shirtsleeve?
Oh, dear love, tell me.
Oh, it's the blood of the old grey hound
That chased the fox for me, me, me,
Chased the fox for me.

How came that blood on your shirtsleeve?
Oh, dear love, tell me.
Oh, it's the blood of my sister dear
Who came away with me, me, me,
Came away with me.

And it's 'What will you do now, my love?'
Oh, dear love, tell me.
I'll set my foot on yonder ship
And sail across the sea, sea, sea,
Sail across the sea.

And it's 'When will you be back, my love?'
Oh, dear love, tell me.
When the moon sits yonder in the sycamore tree
And that will never be, be, be,
That will never be.

~~~
I've edited out several verses and instrumental bits for length.

James Yorkston's version seems to be very closely based on Jean Ritchie's Appalachian variant.

More Appalachian variants collected by Cecil Sharp can be found here:
http://www.contemplator.com/child/sharp13.html

And other versions collected by Francis J. Child in the British Isles can be found here:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch013.htm

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• vampires
• Child Ballads
• traditional folk
• Edward
• Stuart Townsend
• Ann Rice
• chronicles

[shinosladybirdbeetle]

do u know the lyrics to it? i cant find them

i love this song wit queen of the damned, btw. awesum vid

[PyrateAnny]

Thanks!

I've added the lyrics to the vid description now. To see them, click "more info" at the top of the right-hand sidebar.

[rustytroubadour]

Wow! It's amazing how well a traditional ballad works with clips from "Queen of the Damned"! You found some wonderful imagery to accompany the lyrics, especially that image of the cut on the arm and the shirtsleeve.

[PyrateAnny]

Thanks, Rusty!

"Edward" is an example of a 'murder ballad'. Some very early versions of the song appear in the the Francis J. Child collection of traditional ballads. I happened to be listening to James Yorkston's version of it, and the blood imagery immediately called to mind images from Queen of the Damned.

[kissem13]

i love queen of the damned

[Requieskat]

I don't know why but I start feling like about to cry.

I think it's because no other book moved me as Anne Rice's one.

[DogsOfNorns]

I`m crying..... such a wonderful song and good pictures! )))) Thanks for uploading, I`ve never heard it befor, and it`s great)))))

[phoebeandcoop934]

Very good video,have a great day,peace and love to you PyrateAnny! :)

[handoffass]

every vampire is so charm, cool...

[mangaproduction]

do you now where i can watch the movie?

[Requieskat]

The part in which Lestat bites her and the one at the square are very strongly sad.

(Consider I wached the film on youtube in parts, with missing parts)

[Requieskat]

And because the images chosen and the video are chosen so good!

[shinosladybirdbeetle]

thank you! i love this song! great vid!