The Elfin Knight

Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger wonderfully sing this very old ballad, collected by Child as nr 2 version A. I tried to show in the clip some od the unsettling uneasiness it always gives me.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• scottish
• ballads
• ewan
• maccoll
• peggy
• seeger
• folk
• music
• highlands
• celtic
• border's

[HillMarliner]

A wonderful rendition of the song!

It gives me the chills...

Funny how I found this video right after uploading my own renditions of "The Elfin Knight" to Youtube...

I wish I could sing it like MacColl did, his version is unmatched...

[ombra004]

@HillMarliner thank you, hillmariner, i am most grateful to you for your version and the comparation. i am fascinated by the terse and clear story that ewan maccoll choose with its version of the ballad, ma the true interest in in the comparation. Your version it interesting and lovely sung :-) THANKS!

[ombra004]

Ye maun shear it wi' a scythe o' leather Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw And bind it wi' a peacock's feather And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Ye maun stook it in the sea Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw And bring the whaetsheaf dry to me And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' And gin ye wark noo all this wark Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw Come to me and you'll get your sark And the wind it blaws my plaid awa'

[ombra004]

And gin I mak' a sark for thee Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw There's ae thing ye maun dae for me And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' My faither has an acre o' land Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw Ye maun plough it wi' you ae hand And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Ye maun sow it wantin' corn Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw And roll it wi' a sheep's shank-bone And the wind it blaws my plaid awa'

[ombra004]

Ye maun mak' me a linen sark Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw Without a stitch o' needlewark And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Ye maun wash it in yon draw-well Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw Where water never sprang nor fell And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Ye maun dry 't on yon hawthorn Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw That hasna seen blossom since man was born And the wind it blaws my plaid awa'

[ombra004]

There stands three trumpeters on yon hill Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw And they blaw their trumpets sae loud and shrill And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Gin I'd his trumpet in my kist Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw And was in the lad's arms that I like best And the wind it blaws my plaid awa' Gin ye would be wed wi' me Blaw, blaw, blaw winds, blaw There's ae thing ye maun dae for me And the wind it blaws my plaid awa'

[22shellysands]

i just read the book Impossible by nancy werlin... its about this song and what made me look it up lol.... very good book by the way :)

[HillMarliner]

@HillMarliner

Would you mind if I post my Elfin Knight video as a video response to this one?

I sing the broadside version of the song which is very different from what Ewan MacColl sings.

It actually mentions the Elfin Knight character instead of just calling him a "trumpeter"...

That old version I sing doesn't seem to be widely known, so I think it would be nice if I could help to make it a little more popular...

I also have some links with information on the ballad in my video description.

[KevinADCarter]

I enjoyed this, but I think I would enjoy it more with the tasks set by the young maiden sung by a woman, making it more of a true duet.

[ClubDominoEnglish]

Scottland<3

[guinnessdrinkur]

@ombra004 thanksxD