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Down in the Willow Garden

from Memento Mori EP by Death and the Dancer

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about

Murder ballads such as this were popular on both sides of the Atlantic for centuries. They are a kind of didactic horror story: part moral instruction, part gruesome entertainment. This particular example - warning of the perils of murder for financial gain - likely originates in Ireland, but at some point during the 19th century it traversed the Atlantic and became a staple of the Appalachian musical tradition. It was neither widely printed nor sung outside of Appalachia until the 20th century, leading some to speculate that a single Irish songster might have spread it through the region during their American travels.

lyrics

Down in the willow garden,
As me and my true love did meet,
'Tis there we sat a'courting,
My love fell off to sleep,
I had a bottle of the Burgundy wine,
Which my true love, she did not know,
And 'tis there I poisoned that dear little girl,
Down on the banks below.

I drew my sabre through her,
Which was a bloody knife,
I threw her into the river,
Which was a awful sight,
My father often told me,
What money would set me free,
If I'd but murder that dear little girl,
Whose name was Rose Connelly.

But now he sits at his own cabin door,
Just wiping his tear-dimmed eyes,
He's weeping for his own dear son,
Up on the scaffold high,
My race is run beneath this old sun,
The Devil is waiting for me,
Since I did murder that dear little girl,
Whose name was Rose Connelly.

My race is run, beneath this old sun,
The Devil is waiting for me,
Since I did murder that dear little girl,
Whose name was Rose Connelly.

credits

from Memento Mori EP, released July 20, 2018

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Death and the Dancer Sheffield, UK

A fast-paced, foot-tapping blend of transatlantic folk music styles, drawing unlikely inspiration from the blood-soaked popular ballad tradition and the chilling ‘Danse Macabre’ imagery of medieval Europe. Come dance away your worldly cares; when Death scrapes the bow, all folk must dance. ... more

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