> Eliza Carthy > Songs > Willow Tree
> Umps and Dumps > Songs > The Willow Tree

The Willow Tree

[ Roud 18831 ; Ballad Index RcTWilTr , HaGr046 ; Mudcat 46073 , 88399 ; trad.]

This is one of the many variants of the Died for Love theme, originally clustered by Steve Roud as Roud 60.

Tom and Chris Willett sang Never Change the Old Love for New to Ken Stubbs in c. 1960. This recording was included in 2013 on the Willett Family’s Musical Tradition anthology Adieu to Old England. Rod Stradling noted:

Having tried to include all the possible verses of this song, plus a couple of floaters not usually associated with it, the recording deteriorates into false starts and discussions from all the participants—so I’ve just faded it out. A couple of points worth noticing are the wonderful way Tom treats the tune of the third line of the chorus at the beginning of the song, and the fact that they both suddenly change tune on the penultimate verse, segueing perfectly into the one they use for There is an Alehouse a.k.a. Died for Love.

Roud has 15 versions of this lovely song, five of which are from North America. The others are from May Bradley and Bill Smith, of Shropshire, plus Sam Richards collected it from Bill ‘Pop’ Hingston, of Dittisham, Devon, as did Gavin Greig from a Miss Ross, in Scotland, and Lucy Broadwood from both Mr and Mrs Petulengro in Westmorland.

Caroline Hughes sang If I Only Had the One I Love to Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker in 1963 or 1966. This recording was included in 2014 on her Musical Traditions anthology Sheep-Crook and Black Dog. She also sang My Truelove Was a Sailor Lad with ta few more and different verses to Peter Kennedy on 19 April 1968 in her caravan near Blandford, Dorset. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English gypsy traditional singers, I’m a Romany Ray(The Voice of the People Volume 22).. Rod Stradling noted on the first album:

Mrs Hughes’ variations on this well-known tune are both remarkable and beautiful. Roud has 15 versions of this lovely song, five of which are from North America. The others are from May Bradley and Bill Smith, of Shropshire, plus Sam Richards collected it from Bill ‘Pop’ Hingston, of Dittisham, Devon, as did Gavin Greig from a Miss Ross, in Scotland, and Lucy Broadwood from both Mr and Mrs Petulengro in Westmorland. Mrs Hughes’ “he carries the mark all on his arm” in her first verse becomes the splendid “he [wears] my name all on his arm”—a tattoo!—in Tom and Chris Willett’s version.

May Bradley, gypsy singer from Ludlow in Shropshire, sang The Willow Tree in a July 1965 recording made by Fred Hamer. It was included in 1989 on the VWML cassette of Fred Hamer’s field recordings, The Leaves of Life, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology We’ve Received Orders to Sail: Jackie Tar at Sea & on Shore (The Voice of the People Series Volume 12) and in 2010 on her Musical Traditions anthology Sweet Swansea.

Bill Smith of Shropshire sang the first two verses of The Willow Tree to his son Andrew Smith in spring 1981. This recording was included in 2011 on his Musical Traditions anthology of songs and stories of a Shropshire man, A Country Life. The accompanying booklet noted:

Lines in italics from the singing of May Bradley, who lived nearby. Bill didn’t know her, but when shown a photograph of May and her husband published in the Fred Hamer collection Garners Gay, said, “No, I don’t know her, but ’im! He owes me a pint!”

Roud has 14 versions of this lovely song, four of which are from North America. The earliest entry is Lucy Broadwood’s 1909 collection of it from Shadres Petulengro, in Kendal, Westmorland. The others are from May Bradley, plus Sam Richards collected it from Bill ‘Pop’ Hingston, of Dittisham, Devon, in the 1970s, as did Gavin Greig from a Miss Ross, in Scotland.

Umps and Dumps learned The Willow Tree from the singing of May Bradley and sang it in 1980 on their Topic album The Moon’s in a Fit.

Eliza Carthy sang and played Willow Tree in 2002 on her Topic CD Anglicana. She noted:

This song is dedicated to Danny Stradling, because she thought that she had put it together as she sang it and I knew when I heard May Bradley sing it that it felt very familiar, and neither of us could place it! I remember Danny singing this through staying with the Stradlings over the years. Being on the end of their fabulous hospitality and working with their son has been a lovely and big part of my life. She is also a monster tambourine player.

This track was also included in 2013 on her Topic anthology Wayward Daughter and in 2018 on An Introduction to Eliza Carthy. And Eliza sang Willow Tree live on 24 April 2013 in Mark Radcliffe’s BBC Radio 2 programme The Folk Show. This is available on her digital download album The Mark Radcliffe Folk Sessions.

Danny Stradling sang The Willow Tree on the 2005 Musical Traditions album of Songs From the Golden Fleece. Rod Stradling noted:

This comes from Fred Hamer’s recordings of May Bradley, a Gypsy from the Welsh borders. From the same source come The Leaves of Life and On Christmas Day, songs relating how God treats man, and the wonderful Sweet Swansea which relates how man treats man. The ‘chorus’ was taken from Queen Caroline Hughes.

The Rails sang Willow Tree on their 2015 album Australia.

Lyrics

Tom and Chris Willett sing Never Change the Old Love for New

My love is but a sailor bold, sailor bold,
Who sails across the deep blue sea;
He wears my name all on his arm, on his arm
Which brings his memory back to me.

Chorus (after each verse):
So bring me back that one I love
And bring and give him back to me
If I only had that one I love
How happy, happy should I be.

I wish my heart was made of glass
So he might stand and view me through
And read the secrets of my heart
For if you love one you can’t love two.

O think of me and bear in mind, in mind
That I’m the girl that you passed by
And when you find one fond and true, fond and true
Never change that old love for the new.

My love is like a little bird
That flies across from tree to tree
And when he gets so far away, far away,
I know he thinks no more of me.

Now think of me and bear in mind, in mind
A constant heart is hard to find
And when you find one fond and true, fond and true,
Never change that old love for the new.

I wish to God my baby was born
Sat smiling on his dadda’s knee
But maid again I never shall be
‘Til the apples grows on an orange tree

I wish to God my baby was born
Sat smiling on his dadda’s knee …

Caroline Hughes sings If I Only Had the One I Love

O ‘tis my true love’s a sailor boy
He ploughed the ocean deep and wide
Well, he carries the mark all on his arm
And he brings those ’membrance back to me.

Well, I wish that I had the one I love, dearly love,
How happy happy should I be.
O but there’s my hand but not my heart
And friends we’ll meet and friends we’ll part.

O now fetch to me the one I love, dearly love,
And you fetch her, fetch her back to me
But if I only had the one I love, dearly love,
How happy, happy should I be.

Caroline Hughes sings My Truelove Was a Sailor Lad

O my truelove was a sailor lad,
He ploughed the ocean deep and wide.
He carried the mark all on his arm
And he brought these ’membrance back to me.

Now, sailor, sailor, do you know
A sailor’s heart is hard to break.
While if you should find one good and true
Never change the old one for the new.

Now, in my mother’s only [early] days
We used to love and court together;
But I picked up one that would not [please],
I passed my love and dared to stay.

“O speak, young man, and don’t be slow;
I’m not that girl that passed you by.
If I had only had the one I love, dearly love,
How happy, happy should I feel.”

Now, my truelove’s a sailor boy,
He ploughs the ocean deep and wide.
He carries the mark all on his arm
And he brings good ’membrance back to me.

May Bradley sings The Willow Tree

As I pass by a willow tree, willow tree
That willow leaf blew down on me
I picked it up, it would not break
I’ve passed my love, he would not speak

Speak, young man, and don’t be shy, be shy
For I am a girl can pass you by
For friends we’ve met and friends will part
You’ll take my hand but not my heart

I wished your bosom were of glass, of glass
That I could view it through and through
Just view those secrets of your heart
If I’d love one, I can’t love two

O give me back to the one I love, I love
O give, O give him back to me
If I only have that one I love
How happy, happy more I’d be

My love he is a sailor boy, sailor boy
He sails the ocean through and through
And when he gets so far away
He hardly thinks no more of me

So give, O give him back to me, to me
O give, O give him back to me
If I only have that one I love
How happy, happy more I’d be

Bill Smith sings The Willow Tree

As I passed by a willow tree
A willow leaf flew after me
I picked it up it would not break
I met my love she would not speak

Come speak to me and don’t be shy
Come speak to me don’t pass me by
If I only had the one I love
How happy, happy would I be.

Eliza Carthy sings Willow Tree

As I pass by a willow tree, willow tree
That willow leaf blew down on me
I picked it up, it would not break
I’ve passed my love, he would not speak

O, speak, young man, and don’t be shy, be shy
For I’m the girl can’t pass you by
For friends we’ve met and friends will part
You’ll take my hand but not my heart

I wished your bosom were of glass, of glass
So I could view it through and through
Just to view those secrets of your heart
If I’d love one, I can’t love two

O give me back to the one I love, I love
O give, O give him back to me
If I only have that one I love
How happy, happy more I’d be

My love he is a sailor boy, sailor boy
He sails the ocean through and through
And when he gets so far away
He hardly thinks no more of me

So give, O give him back to me, to me
O give, O give him back to me
If I only have that one I love
How happy, happy more I’d be

Danny Stradling sings The Willow Tree

As I walked past the willow tree
A willow leaf fell down on me.
I picked it up, it would not break.
I passed my love, he would not speak.

Speak, young man, and you don’t be shy,
For I’m the one can pass you by,
And friends we’ve met, and friends we’ll part,
You take my hand but not my heart.

I wish your bosom were of glass, of glass,
That I could view it through and through,
And see the secrets of your heart,
If you love one you can’t love two.

So fetch me back the one I love, dearly love,
And fetch, oh you fetch him back to me,
And if I only had the one I love, dearly love,
How happy, happy would I be.

My true love’s a sailor boy,
He sails the ocean through and through,
And when he gets so far away
He hardly ever thinks of me.

So fetch me back the one I love, dearly love,
And fetch, oh you fetch him back to me,
And if I only had the one I love, dearly love,
How happy, happy would I be.

Acknowledgements

Eliza Carthy’s version was transcribed by Roberto Campo. Thank you!