The Three Ravens
[
Roud 5
; Child 26
; Ballad Index C026
; MusTrad MT325
; GlosTrad
Roud 5
; DT THRERAVN
; Mudcat 9564
; trad.]
Ewan MacColl sang the English ballad The Three Ravens on his 1961 Folkways album The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 1 Child Ballads. The album’s notes commented:
The first printed copy of this ballad is in Ravenscroft’s Melismata, London 1611. In Popular Music of the Olden Time, 1855, Chappell remarks that the ballad was still so popular in some parts of the country that he had “been favoured with a variety of copies of it, written down from memory, and all differing in some respects, both as to words and tune, but with sufficient resemblance to prove a similar origin.”
Motherwell in his Minstrelsy, 1827, describes it as being “very popular in Scotland”, where it is more commonly known as The Twa Corbies.
The version here is given from Kidson’s Traditional Tunes, 1891, and comes from the village of Stoney-Middleton, Derbyshire.
Isla Cameron sang Three Ravens in 1964 in a recording made by Peter Kennedy on the LP Northumbrian Minstrelsy. The uncredited sleeve notes commented:
Three Ravens is a ballad found in many countries. In Francis J. Child’s English and Scottish Popular Ballads this is No. 26. The Scots version is often known as The Twa Corbies. The plot translates almost word for word from similar Danish folklore. It has frequently been collected in the U.S.A. This version was printed in Melismata, Musicall Phansies, Fitting the Court, Cittie, and Countrey Humours (London 1611).
The Black Country Three (Jon and Mike Raven—no relation to the song’s protagonists, I believe—and Derek Craft) sang The Three Ravens in 1966 on their eponymous album The Black Country Three. This track was also included on several Transatlantic anthologies.
Fred Jordan sang a rather more comic variant, Three Old Crows, on his 1966 Topic album Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker. This track was also included in 2003 on his Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. The former album’s sleeve notes commented:
The old ballad of The Three Ravens (called in Scotland The Twa Corbies) was first printed in T. Ravenscroft’s Melismata in 1611. Various comic versions arose, as a children’s game song, a students’ song, a Boy Scout’s campfire song, etc. Fred Jordan learnt his version of this familiar piece from a gamekeeper named Albert Woodward, who came to Corve Dale from the Vale of Aylesbury in the 1940’s.
Roy and Val Bailey sang The Three Ravens in 1968 on their album of children’s songs with Leon Rosselson, Oats & Beans & Kangaroos.
Pete Elliott and chorus sang Three Crows in 1972 on the Topic album of “ballads and songs from Newcastle and thereabouts”, Canny Newcassel. Tony Wilson commented in the sleeve notes:
The tragic ballad The Twa Corbies seems to linger in the tradition only in humorous versions such as this, learned by Pete from his father. Another may be heard on Fred Jordan’s Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker.
Appropriately, the tune of this mock-clerical piece is taken from the chorus of the Revival (religious not folk song!) hymn There Is a Power in the Blood though it is probably better known as the tune to the chorus of The Quartermaster’s Store.
George Deacon sang The Three Ravens in 1973 on his and Marion Ross’ Transatlantic album Sweet William’s Ghost. The album’s liner notes commented:
This arrangement by Thomas Ravenscroft, first published in 1609, is the earliest known version of this song. Many composers have tried to a range English folk song but rarely as successfully as this sympathetic setting for one of the saddest, yet most beautiful of English songs.
Harry Adams of Isle Abbots, Somerset, sang The Three Crows to Bob and Jacqueline Patten on 6 February 1977. They included it in 1987 in their Somerset Scrapbook, which was also released in 2013 as a Musical Traditions CD-ROM. They noted:
Harry learnt this song from Henry Woods, landlord of the Golden Lion at Newton Abbot when he worked there as a GWR employee. He called it “an old pub song” and included Henry Woods’ injunction to join in the singing. In fact, it is an ancient ballad, in print as early as 1611, and going by a variety of names, including The Three Ravens and The Twa Corbies.
Charlie Clissold sang Three Old Crows and Bob Cross sang Two Old Crows on a Veteran cassette released in 1987-95 and on the 2001 Veteran anthology of traditional folk music from rural England, Down in the Fields.
Bob Lewis sang Three Old Crows at a concert he did with Bob Copper at Nellie’s Folk Club, The Rose and Crown Hotel, Tonbridge, Kent, on 17 October 1999. This concert was released in 2017 on their Musical Traditions CD The Two Bobs’ Worth.
Arthur Knevett sang The Three Ravens on his 1988 cassette Mostly Ballads. Vic Gammon commented in the album’s notes:
This is a version of a ballad which has been in print since the Jacobean musician Thomas Ravenscroft harmonised it for middle class musical recreation in the early seventeenth century. This short version from Frank Kidson’s collection ends with the regret of the slain man’s lady. Longer versions are even bleaker: lady, hawk and hound all desert the unfortunate man (or knight) and the sense of desolation is absolute. This song has had a long and varied life and still exists as a children’s song in Britain and America.
Malinky sang Three Ravens in 2002 as the title track of their second CD, 3 Ravens. They noted:
Karine [Polwart] first heard this sung by Susan Thores. It’s related to the much better known ballad The Twa Corbies. Our arrangement takes its inspiration from the brilliant Breton band Skolvan.
German group Cara learned Three Ravens from Malinky’s album. They recorded it in 2004 for their CD In Colour and sang it live at the Arsenaal Theater in Vlissingen, Netherlands, on 21 October 2007; this concert was published in 2008 on their DVD In Full Swing. This YouTube video shows them at a Cooldog Concert in Delaware on 19 August 2007:
Tim Radford sang The Three Ravens on his 2005 CD Home From Home. He noted:
Many years ago when I started singing on my own I remember hearing the Northamptonshire singer George Deacon sing this ballad (Child No. 26) accompanied on a virginal, and it had a wonderfully haunting quality. I have only recently rediscovered it and love singing it. It was first published in 1611 by Thomas Ravenscroft in his Melismata, and that is one of the versions to be found in Child. The word ‘Leman’ in the final verse is an archaic word for Lover or Paramour.
The Devil’s Interval (Lauren McCormick, Emily Portman and Jim Causley) sang Two Crows in 2006 on their WildGoose CD Blood and Honey. They noted:
Harry Adams sang The Three Crows to Bob and Jacqueline Paton in 1977 calling it “an old pub song”. Some people think it is related to the ancient ballad The Three Ravens but in our scholarly opinions we feel the connection is highly dubious! Emily folked it up a bit, added some lines and lost a crow along the way.
This video shows The Devil’s Interval at Loughborough Folk Festival in 2008:
Jim Causley also sang Blackingstone Ravens on his 2021 album Devonshire Roses and on his 2023 CD Songs of Dartmoor where he noted:
Traditional. Baring-Gould Collection. A Devon variant of the Two Crows/Three Ravens ballads. Never leave babies unattended on Dartmoor!
Brian Peters sang Three Ravens in 2008 on his album of Child Ballads, Songs of Trial and Triumph. He noted:
North of the border, this ballad evolved into The Twa Corbies, the most familiar version of which is a folk revival setting to the tune of a Breton liberation song. Prof. Bronson was unimpressed with Twa Corbies, finding it guilty, compared with its English ancestor, of “sweeping away tenderness and replacing it with an alien and reckless cynicism”. In England, Three Ravens presents a fairly simple picture: just two versions of any substance are included in Bronson, from Ravenscroft (1611) and Kidson (1891). Ravenscroft’s is the more archaic, with the slain knight besieged by a veritable menagerie including hounds, hawk and a mysterious, heavily pregnant “fallow doe”. Although I’ve come across speculation that the doe is exactly what it says on the tin, and that some kind of throwback to a prehistoric reindeer cult lies behind the ballad, the more likely explanation is that the doe is a metaphor. This is supported by the Kidson text, in which it’s the dead chap’s lady-friend that arrives amidst much wailing and teeth-gnashing.
I have to confess that, in this case, I broke all my own rules about ballad singing, and chose Three Ravens as a promising vehicle for a heavy metal musical arrangement, rather than on its own merits. “Derry down” is a perfectly respectable refrain that occurs in various folk songs without attracting ridicule, but in the context of the rather literary and romantic Ravenscroft text it’s a bit too “hey nonny nonny” for my liking. So my rendition is slightly tongue-in-cheek—at least it was until Brian Bedford and I really started to enjoy the layering and the screams of feedback from my long-suffering Strat copy and Marshall combo. For the record, the tune I use is Kidson’s, as are verses 5 and 7, and the remaining verses are all from Ravenscroft, with small amendments.
Both Hannah James and Fay Hield learned Three Ravens from a version collected by Frank Kidson from Mrs Holmes of Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire. Hannah sang it in 2009 on her and Sam Sweeney’s CD Catches and Glees, and in 2021 on her and Toby Kuhn’s album Sleeping Spirals. Fay Hield sang Three Ravens together with Jon Boden as the 27 September 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.
The Demon Barbers learned Three Ravens from Fay Hield and sang it in 2010 on their CD The Adventures of Captain Ward.
Inge Thomson sang Three Ravens in 2014 on Martin Green’s album Crows’ Bones. Their version, like Cara’s above, seems to come from Malinky’s arrangement.
Ninebarrow sang Three Ravens on their 2016 CD Releasing the Leaves. They noted:
We’d heard versions of Twa Corbies sung at our local folk clubs, but it was a Ewan MacColl version of the song on The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 1 Child Ballads which really grabbed our attention. MacColl’s haunting rendition of Child Ballad 26 really inspired us to try harmonising with it and—if we’re honest—we love a good, dark song and this really fits the bill quite nicely.
You Are Wolf (Kerry Andrew) sang Three Ravens on their 2014 CD Hawk to the Hunting Gone.
Rosie Hodgson and Rowan Piggott sang Three Ravens on their 2018 EP Song Diary. They noted:
One of the oldest songs we sing, Three Ravens was first published in 1611, but is perhaps even older than that. Newer versions (with different music) were recorded right up through the 19th century. A Scottish ballad called Twa Corbies is a similar story, but with an even darker twist!
Angeline Morrison sang The Three Ravens on the 2023 anthology Sing Yonder 1. She noted:
This song is essentially a conversation between carrion crows about whose bones they should next pick clean. But then it unfolds into a magical tale of the ideal knight and his devoted beloved, with possibly some shape-shifting (or at least some transformational metaphor). The scope of the narrative and its surprising elements are powerful in such a short song. So I added handclaps and joyous, joining-in backing vocals as a homage to the way the song keeps on expanding and bringing new layers of delight.
Lyrics
Ewan MacColl sings The Three Ravens
There were three ravens on a tree,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho!
The middlemost raven said to me,
“There lies a dead man at yon tree,”
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
There comes a lady full of woe,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
There comes his lady full of woe,
Heigh ho!
There comes his lady full of woe,
Riding fast as she can go,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
“Who’s this that killed my own true love?
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Who’s this that killed my own true love?
Heigh ho!
I hope in Heaven he’ll never rest,
Nor e’er enjoy that blessed place.”
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
The Black Country Three sing The Three Ravens
There were three ravens sat on a tree,
Down, a down, heigh down, heigh down
They were as black as black might be,
With a down
The one of them said to his mate,
“Where shall we our breakfast eat?”
With a down, derry derry derry down down
“Oh down in yonder green field
There lies a knight slain under his shield.
His hounds they lie down at his feet,
So well they do their master keep.”
His hawks they fly so eagerly,
There is no fowl dare nigh him come.
Oh down there comes a fallow doe
As great with young as she may go.
She lifted up his wounded head
And kissed the wounds that were so red.
She got him up upon her back,
Carried him to earthen lake.
She buried him before the prime
And was dead herself ere evesong time.
God send to every gentleman
Such hawks, such hounds and such woman.
Fred Jordan sings Three Old Crows
Now three old crows sat in a tree
And they were as black as black could be,
And they were as black as black could be.
Said one old crow unto his mate,
“What shall we have this day to eat?
What shall we have this day to eat?”
They flew away across the plain
To where an old horse had been slain,
To where an old horse had been slain.
They sat all on his old back-bone,
They pecked his eyes out one by one,
They pecked his eyes out one by one.
Up come the farmer with his gun,
He shot them all excepting one
He shot them all excepting one.
Now this old crow flew in a tree
He said, “You old bugger you can’t catch me,”
He said, “You old bugger, oh you can’t catch me.”
Pete Elliott and chorus sing Three Crows
There were three crows upon a tree,
They were as black as crows could be,
Sing, brethren, sing:
There were three crows upon a tree,
𝄆 They were as black as crows could be. 𝄇
They flew away across a plain
And found a sheep that had been slain,
Sing, brethren, sing:
They flew away across the plain
𝄆 And found a sheep that had been slain. 𝄇
They stoop upon its fleecy hump
And picked the maggots off its rump,
Sing, brethren, sing:
They stoop upon its fleecy hump
𝄆 And picked the maggots off its rump. 𝄇
They stoop upon its crookèd horn
And pecked its eyes out one by one,
Sing, brethren, sing:
They stoop upon its crookit horn
𝄆 And pecked its eyes out one by one. 𝄇
The moral of this little lay
Is get your mutton where you may,
Sing, brethren, sing:
The moral of this little lay
𝄆 Is get your mutton where you may. 𝄇
A-men
Harry Adams sings The Three Crows
There were three crows upon a tree,
And they were as black as black could be,
(spoken) Sing, brethren, sing.
Said number one unto his mate,
“What shall we have this day for to eat?”
“In yonder field a horse lays slain,
And around his neck there hangs a long chain.
“We’ll perch upon his old backbone,
And pluck his eyes out, one by one.”
(spoken) Sing, brethren, sing.
Malinky sing Three Ravens
Three ravens sat upon a tree,
Hey doun hey derrie day
Three ravens sat upon a tree,
Hey doun
Three ravens sat upon a tree
And they were black as black could be.
Singing la do an la do a day
The middle ane said tae his mate:
“Oh where shall we our dinner get?”
“It’s doun intae yon grass green field,
There lies a knight that’s newly killed.”
His horse was standing at his side
And thought he might get up and ride.
His hounds were lying at his feet
And they licked his wounds sae sore and deep.
There came a lady full of woe,
As big wi’ child as she could go.
She’s stretched herself doun by his side
And for the love of him she’s died.
Tim Radford sings The Three Ravens
There were three ravens sat on a tree
Down a down, hay down, hay down
There were three ravens sat on a tree
With a down
There were three ravens sat on a tree
They were as black as they might be
With a down derry derry derry down down.
The one of them said to his mate
“Where shall we our breakfast take”
Down in yonder greeny field
There lies a knight slain under his shield.
His hounds they lie down at his feet
So well they do their master keep
His hawks they fly so eagerly
There is no fowl come near him nigh
Down there comes a fallow doe
As great with young as she might go
She lifted up his bloody head
And kissed his wounds that were so red
She got him up upon here back
And carried him to an earthen lake
She buried him before the prime
She was died herself ere even-song time
Oh God send every gentleman
Such hawks, such hounds and such leman.
The Devil’s Interval sing Two Crows
There were two crows sat on a tree,
Sing, brethren, sing.
There were two crows sat on a tree
And they were as black, and they were as black,
And they were as black as black could be.
Said number one unto his mate,
Sing, brethren, sing.
Said number one unto his mate,
What shall we have, oh what shall we have,
Oh what shall we have this day for to eat?
In yonder field a horse lies slain,
Sing, brethren, sing.
In yonder field a horse lies slain.
Around his neck, around his neck,
Around his neck there hangs a gold chain.
We’ll take a lock of his yellow hair,
Sing, brethren, sing.
We’ll take a lock of his yellow hair
To soften our nest, to soften our nest,
To soften our nest with gold so rare.
We’ll perch upon his old breast-bone,
Sing, brethren, sing.
We’ll perch upon his old breast-bone
And pluck out his eyes, and pluck out his eyes,
And pluck out his eyes one by one.
Brian Peters sings Three Ravens
There were three ravens on a tree
A down, a down, a derry down
There were three ravens on a tree
Heigh ho
There were three ravens on a tree
And they were as black as they might be
A down a down, a derry down, heigh ho
The one of them said to his mate,
O where shall we our breakfast take?
Down in yonder low green field
A knight lies slain beneath his shield.
His hounds they lie all at his feet,
So well their master safe to keep.
There comes his lady full of woe,
A great with child as she could go.
She’s lifted up his bloody head
And kissed the wounds that ran so red.
Who’s this has killed my own true love
May he never rest in heaven above.
She buried him before the prime,
She died herself ere evening time.
Hannah James sings Three Ravens
There were three ravens on a tree,
A down, a down, a derry down
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho
The middlemost raven said to me,
“There lies a dead man at yon tree.”
A down, a down, a derry down
Heigh ho
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Here comes his lady as she may go.
“Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
I hope in heaven they’ll never rest
Or e’er enjoy that blessed place.”
There were three ravens on a tree,
A down, a down, a derry down
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho
Fay Hield sings Three Ravens
There were three ravens on a tree,
Down, down and a derry down
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho
The middlemost raven said to me,
“There lies a dead man at yon tree.”
Down, down and a derry down
Heigh ho
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Here comes his lady full of woe,
Riding fast as she can go.
“Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
I hope in heaven he’ll never rest
Nor ever reaches that blessed place.”
Ninebarrow sing Three Ravens
There were three ravens on a tree,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho!
And the middlemost raven said to me,
“There lies a dead man by yon tree,”
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
There comes a lady full of woe,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
There comes his lady full of woe,
Heigh ho!
There comes his lady full of woe,
Riding as fast as she can go,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
“Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Who’s this that’s killed my own true love?
Heigh ho!
I hope in Heaven he’ll never rest,
Nor e’er enjoy that blessed place!”
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
There were three ravens on a tree,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
There were three ravens on a tree,
Heigh ho!
There were three ravens on a tree,
They were as black as black might be,
A-down, a-down, a derry down,
Heigh ho!
Links
Arthur Knevett: Thomas Ravenscroft and The Three Ravens: A Ballad Under the Microscope (Musical Traditions article MT325, 2019)