Green grow the rushes-oh
James Feeney
I'm new to this newsgroup and apologise if this subject has cropped up
before, but does anyone know where I can find the full lyrics for this
old English folk song? Some explanation of the words would also be of
interest - who or what were the "lilywhite boys"? And what are the
"April rainers"?
Thanks
Penny (jfe...@cix.compulink.uk)
RickBD
published by Simon and Schuster in 1947. Here is their version of the
lyrics.
I'll sing you one-ho
Green grow the rushes-ho
What is your one-ho?
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be so
I'll sing you two-ho
Green grow the rushes-ho
What are your two-ho?
Two, two the lily white boys clothed all in green-ho
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be so
(the other verses are similarly phrased and cumulative. The other verses
are:)
Three three the rivals
Four for the Gospel makers
Five for the symbols at your door.
Six for the six proud walkers
Seven for the seven stars in the sky
Eight for the April rainers
Nine for the nine bright shiners
Ten for the ten commandments
Eleven for the eleven went up to heaven
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
As for the interpretation of the "lily white boys," I'm sure they are a
reference to some passage in the Bible, but I can't tell you which. Good
luck with the rest of the song, and welcome to the folk music newsgroup!
Rick Dougherty
Cyronwode
"April rainers"?
This question surfaces fairly frequently.
The "april rainers" are the constellation called the Hyades, a group of
eight stars (well, that's all that can be seen qithout a telescope) also
called "the rainy Hyades" that rise heliacally with the sun in the month
of Arpil.
The "seven stars in your sky" mentioned in the song are the seven visible
stars in the colstealltion of the Pleiades.
I have seen folks ask about the "lily white boys" for two years on the net
and have not seen a definitive answer to date.
Maybe this time some answers will be forthcoming.
catherine yronwode
cyro...@aol.com
alt.lucky.w -- the newsgroup of synchronicity, amulets, and talismans
if your ISP doesn't carry it, ask for it by name
Rkh10
Singing" songbook by Sing Out!:
There's naught but care on ev'ry han'
In ev'ry hour that passes-o
What signifies that life o' man
An' 'twer not for the lasses-o
*Green grow the rashes-o*
*Green grow the rashes-o*
*The sweetest hours that e'er I spend*
*Are spent among the lasses-o*
The war'y race may riches chase
An' riches still may fly them-o
An' tho at last they catch them fast
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them-o
But gie me a cannie hour at e'en
My arms about my dearie-o
An' war'ly cares an' war'ly men
May a' gae tapsalteerie-o!
"War'ly" meaning worldly and "tapsalteerie" meaning topsy-turvy.
-- Rachel
James Feeney
expecting to be referred to a book - to have my questions answered was a
real bonus.
However, now that I have been supplied with the full song, I'd love some
additional information on:
the symbols at your door
the six proud walkers
the nine bright shiners
I know my bible well enough to understand the rest.
Many, many thanks for your help - one day this may be translated into a
quilt.
Penny Feeney (jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
j.p. kiernan
Refers to the constillation Pleiades (spelling?). Nine bright stars in
a cluster. At least that's what I've heard in the past....
R. Ganz
> The lyrics I know come as "Green Grow the *Rashes-O*" from the "Rise Up
> Singing" songbook by Sing Out!:
The lyrics are attributed to Robert Burns and can be found in any good
collection of his poetry (at a bookstore near you...)
Another Rachel
James Feeney
>
> Refers to the constillation Pleiades (spelling?). Nine bright stars
> in a cluster. At least that's what I've heard in the past....
Sorry, thought that was the "seven stars in the sky"....
Penny Feeney (jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
Robert M Derrick
even more inexplicable lines. I heard the
song by Roberts & Barrand, and through a
mutual acquaintence, I was able to ask them
the question, what are the real words, and/or
what do these words mean. And the answer was,
"We don't know." So it may be forever a mystery.
But, as I remember it:
Come and I will sing you,
What shall I sing you
I will sing you one alone
What shall be your one alone
One is one and one alone
Come to me-dilly, come-dally, come-dilly, alone,
And ever shall remain so.
Come and I will sing you,
What shall I sing you
I will sing you two of them
What shall be your two of them
Two are the Chris-i-mas babes in green
One is one and one alone
Come to me-dilly, come-dally, come-dilly, alone,
And ever shall remain so.
...
Twelve for the twelve apostles
Eleven for eleven all gone to heaven
Ten for the ten command-e-ments
Nine of them's Aunt Mary Ann
Eight of them are the Filly Shine White
Seven for seven stars up in the sky
Six for the six that never did mix
Five for the oxen standing by
Four, the carolers at your door
Three are the three that's in Bethle,
Two are the Chris-i-mas babes in green
One is one and one alone
Note that in this one, the babes(boys) are also in
green. Perhaps they are Jesus and John.
---
Rob Derrick
Barrie McCombs
This file is a summary of postings to the Internet whenever this song
re-surfaces for discussion. I have always been intrigued by the mix of
references to the Bible and to the constellations and wonder if the
verses are a blending of an astronomical version and a biblical version.
*****
TITLES:
Alternate Titles:
- Children Go Where I Send Thee
- I'll Sing You One Oh
- The Carol Of The Twelve Numbers
- The Twelve Apostles
- The Dilly Song
Unrelated Song:
- Green Grow The Rashes-o (Robert Burns)
- Often confused because of the title
*****
EXPLANATIONS:
One is one and all alone:
- God, or Jesus Christ
Two, two, the lily-white boys (babes), clothed all in green-ho
- God and Jesus
- Or: Jesus Christ and John the Baptist
- Or: the constellation Gemini (the twins) (a sign of spring?)
Three, three, the rivals
- The Trinity (God, Jesus, The Holy Ghost)
- This explanation does not explain the term "rivals"
Four for the gospel makers:
- The Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John)
Five for the symbols at your door
- The five books of Moses
- Or: a pentagram, a common motif on doorposts (why?)
Six for the six proud Walkers (or: charming waiters):
- "Walkers" may be a corruption of "waters"
- The six water-pots used in the miracle of Cana
- Where Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding
Seven for the seven stars in the sky:
- The seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major (The Big Dipper)
- Or: the seven visible stars in the constellation Pleiades
- From: cyro...@aol.com (catherine yronwode), 16 Feb 1996
Eight for the April rainers:
- The constellation Hyades (eight stars)
- Also called "The Rainy Hyades"
- Rise heliacally with the sun in the month of Arpil
- Or: Gabriel and the Archangels
Nine for the nine bright shiners:
- The Muses (does not fit with biblical or astronomical theme)
- Suggests another constellation
Ten for the ten commandments:
- Self-explanatory
Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven:
- The eleven apostles minus Judas
Twelve for the twelve apostles:
- Self-explanatory
*****
REFERENCES:
English Country Songs:
- Editor: Lucy Broadwood
- Leadenhall Press, London, 1893
One Hundred English Folk Songs:
- Editor: Cecil Sharp
- New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1975
- ISBN: 0-486-23192-5
- From: wa...@theory.lcs.mit.edu (David Wald), 18 Dec 1994
- Also mentioned by Holly Tannen (see: Sing Out)
Sing Out Magazine (39-4, page 105):
- From: hta...@mcn.org (Holly Tannen), 4 Jan 1996
It has been collected in the southern mountains, the north atlantic states,
Ohio, Michigan, and in Canada. These versions trace back to Cornwall and the
west country of England, where it was popular as a Christmas carol and as a
harvest song.
Journal of American Folklore:
- V.62 #246, Oct-Dec 1949 (Leah Yoffie)
- Songs of the Twelve Numbers and the Hebrew Chant of Echod Mi Yodea
The song was well known in many sections of Europe as early as the sixteenth
century, when it first appeared as an addition to the German Jewish Passover
Haggadah, and may have existed as a Jewish folk song some time before it was
printed. A Latin version from a 1630 manuscript lists two testaments, three
Patriarchs, four evangelists, five books of Moses, six vessels (of Cana) etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Barrie McCombs, MD, CCFP | Family Physician by day |
| bmcc...@acs.ucalgary.ca | Folk Musician during full moons |
| Calgary Folk Music URL: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~bmccombs/calfolk.html |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jens Kilian
> However, now that I have been supplied with the full song, I'd love some
> additional information on:
> [Five for] the symbols at your door
Here in Germany, there is the old tradition of the "Sternsinger".
At Epiphany, groups of children go through the town dressed up as the
Three Wise Men. They stop at each house (though nowadays you have to sign up
for this) and sing a song, and they chalk the following above the house's
door:
19 + C + M + B + 96 (this is for this year :-)
The CMB, contrary to popular opinion, doesn't stand for "Caspar, Melchior
and Balthasar", but for "Christus mansionem benedicat" - "May Christ bless
this house".
Greetings,
Jens.
Ken West
("James Feeney") wrote:
> > >the nine bright shiners
> >
> > Refers to the constillation Pleiades (spelling?). Nine bright stars
> > in a cluster. At least that's what I've heard in the past....
>
> Sorry, thought that was the "seven stars in the sky"....
>
> Penny Feeney (jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
The "seven stars in the sky" are Ursa Major, the big dipper.
Has someone posted all 12? Could they repost, if possible, please?
regards,
Ken West
Ranger Rita
(Barrie McCombs) writes:
<large snip>
>GREEN GROW THE RUSHES HO (COMMENTARY):
>Two, two, the lily-white boys (babes), clothed all in green-ho
>- God and Jesus
>- Or: Jesus Christ and John the Baptist
>- Or: the constellation Gemini (the twins) (a sign of spring?)
Or: James and John, who didn't deny Christ
>Three, three, the rivals
>- The Trinity (God, Jesus, The Holy Ghost)
>- This explanation does not explain the term "rivals"
Or: Peter, James, and John were usually quibbling about who was gonna
be the greatest when they all got to Heaven.
>Five for the symbols at your door
>- The five books of Moses
>- Or: a pentagram, a common motif on doorposts (why?)
Or: The symbols spelling "Icthys" (which you see all the time on bumper
stickers, inside of a fish symbol) which was a code word for Christian,
being an anagram or something, in Greek
<snipt to saave bandwidth>
Ranger Rita
Henrik Norbeck
says...
>
>The lyrics are attributed to Robert Burns and can be found in any good
>collection of his poetry (at a bookstore near you...)
>
As in many other cases, Robert Burns probably took an old traditional song and
reworked the words a bit.
Henrik Norbeck, Stockholm, Sweden
Ken West
I'll sing you one-o.
What is your one-o?
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be, so
I'll sing you two-o.
What is your two-o?
Two, two, the lily-white boys, cloth-ed all in green-o,
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be.
Twelve for the twelve apostles,
Eleven for the eleven that went to heaven,
Ten for the ten commandments,
Nine for the nine bright shiners,
Eight for the April rainers,
Seven for the seven stars in the sky,
Six for the six proud walkers,
Five for the symbols at your door,
Four for the gosple makers,
Three, three, the rivals,
Two, two, the lily-white boys, cloth-ed all in green-o,
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be.
For the record, the "Three" line here musically is the equivalent of the
"five" line in "Twelve days of Christmas".
(My apologies if this has already been posted -- I missed the start of
this thread.)
In article <1996Feb22.1...@walter.cray.com>, ro...@cray.com (Robert
M Derrick) wrote:
> Twelve for the twelve apostles
> Eleven for eleven all gone to heaven
> Ten for the ten command-e-ments
> Nine of them's Aunt Mary Ann
> Eight of them are the Filly Shine White
> Seven for seven stars up in the sky
> Six for the six that never did mix
> Five for the oxen standing by
> Four, the carolers at your door
> Three are the three that's in Bethle,
> Two are the Chris-i-mas babes in green
> One is one and one alone
>
>
> Note that in this one, the babes(boys) are also in
> green. Perhaps they are Jesus and John.
>
> ---
> Rob Derrick
regards,
Ken West
Chris Timson
follows:-
10 forbids all kinds of sin, from 10 begin again-oh
9 it is the pale moonshine, the pale moonshine be nine-oh
8 it is the morning break when all the world's awake-oh
7 it is the crown of heaven with shining stars beset-oh
6 is the ferryman in his boat that on the river floats-oh
5 it is the gilly bird that's never seen but heard-oh
4 it is the dilly hour when blooms the gilly flower
3 of them are strangers and in the wild wood ranges
2 of them are lily-white babes, cloth-ed all in green-oh
1 of them is all alone and ever more shall be so
Some have been covered in earlier discussions, some seem obvious
(ferryman = Charon ?), but some simply baffle. What do numbers 4 and 5
mean? For all their mystery (or perhaps because of it) these lines are
among my favourites from all folk song.
--
Chris Timson Have concertinas, will travel
and Phone (UK) 01225 863762
Anne Gregson Chris Timson's Concertina FAQ:-
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/phoebe/accordion/concertina-faq.html
James Feeney
Can't help with the mystery a great deal, but I do know that gilly
flowers are carnations or pinks. Could the gilly bird be a nightingale?
Penny (jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
Wiltshire, UK
Jens Kilian
> Five for the symbols at your door
> - The five books of Moses
> - Or: a pentagram, a common motif on doorposts (why?)
The pentagram ("Solomon's seal") is supposed to keep evil spirits from passing
through the door or window.
Greetings,
Jens.
J.J.Farrell
Ken West <ken...@lglobal.com> wrote:
>In article <Dn764...@cix.compulink.co.uk>, jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk
>("James Feeney") wrote:
>
>> > >the nine bright shiners
>> >
>> > Refers to the constillation Pleiades (spelling?). Nine bright stars
>> > in a cluster. At least that's what I've heard in the past....
>>
>> Sorry, thought that was the "seven stars in the sky"....
>>
>> Penny Feeney (jfe...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
>
>The "seven stars in the sky" are Ursa Major, the big dipper.
The usual English name for the Pleiades is The Seven Sisters,
since there are seven stars in the constellation; make of that
what you will!
My opinions; I do not speak for my employer.