black is the colour (of my true love's hair)

black is the colour (of my true loves hair) cover of the trad song sung by hamish imlach, christy moore, nina simone, greg dulli and others
lyrics:

Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like some roses fair
She's the sweetest face and the gentlest hands
I love the ground wheron she stands
I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
But some times I whish the day will come
That she and I will be as one
Black is the colour of my true love's hair
Her lips are like some roses fair
She's the sweetest face and the gentlest hands
I love the ground wheron she stands
I walk to the Clyde for to mourn and weep
But satisfied I never can sleep
I'll write her a letter, just a few short lines
And suffer death ten thousand times

This tune is often thought to be traditional Appalchian folk music, but isn't. It was written by John Jacob Niles. Here's his own words on it.
"'Black is The Color of My True Love's Hair' as sung here was composed between 1916 and 1921. I had come home from eastern Kentucky, singing this song to an entirely different tune--a tune not unlike the public-domain material employed even today. My father liked the lyrics, but thought the tune was downright terrible. So I wrote myself a new tune, ending it in a nice modal manner. My composition has since been "discovered" by many an aspiring folk-singer".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• black
• is
• the
• colour
• color
• true
• love
• clyde
• weep
• mourn
• letter
• lines
• die
• death
• thousand
• times
• melodeon
• eddie
• she
• knows
• accordion
• inprov
• highland
• accordeon
• squeeze
• reader
• box
• blues
• scotland
• badlybruisedbob
• stella
• artois
• groanbox
• folk
• tradisiunta

[MsBHoopingAllure]

Beautiful...bravo!

[guyotville06]

Pas mal ! Pas mal de la mélancolie dans le jeu et la mélodie.

Salutations André

[Delmontedel]

I like the fact that you tackle songs that most other accordionists don't. You have a unique style and the ability to portray these (sometimes difficult) tunes with a great deal of emotion.

Have a good week,

Mike

[ArnoldJudasRimm3r]

Oh, this song got me started on my obsession/ worship of Nina Simone-- and this is such a wonderful adaptation.

Thanks for adding me as a friend-- I am just starting out and love the choices you pick for playing.. I would like someday to be able to play like you, not just trad. accordion music, but also my favorite songs from popular music.

[marcoacca]

Splendid.

[matthewvaughan]

Very nice. I was hoping to hear you sing a verse, I admit. But it came out surprisingly (to me) haunting on the piano accordion. Thumbs up.