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Downhill of Life / The Winter of Life

[ Roud 1308 ; Master title: Downhill of Life ; Ballad Index WT249 ; VWML HAM/2/5/22 , SBG/1/3/192 ; Bodleian Roud 1308 ; GlosTrad Roud 1308 ; Wiltshire 97 , 98 ; trad.]

Frank Purslow: The Foggy Dew

Mick Bisiker sang Downhills of Life in 1991 on his Fellside album Home Again.

The Mellstock Band sang The Downhills of Life in 1995 on their Saydisc CD Songs of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. They noted:

Source: Hammond, D.105 from George Roper, Blandford, 1905 [VWML HAM/2/5/22] . Jan Coggan sings this in a wayside inn in Far From the Madding Crowd, ch xlii.

Lady Maisery sang The Winter of Life in 2016 on their RootBeat album Cycle. They noted:

Words from In the Winter of Life collected by Sabine Baring-Gould from Charles Arscott of South Zeal, Devon [VWML SBG/1/3/192] , with additional lines from a selection of broadsides, music: Hazel Askew.

Lyrics

Mick Bisiker sings Downhills of Life

In the downhills of life, when I find I’m declining,
May fate no less fortunate be
Than a snug elbow chair that’s fit for reclining,
And a cot that looks o’er the wide sea.
And an ambling pad pony to pace o’er the lawn
To carol away idle sorrow,
As blithe as the lark that each day hails the morn
Look forward with hope for tomorrow.

With a porch at my door for shelter and shade
Sunshine and rain can prevail,
And a small plot of land for the use of a spade
And a barn for the use of the flail.
And a cow for my dairy, and a dog for my game,
A purse when a friend wants to borrow,
I’d envy no neighbour his riches or fame
For what honour could await him tomorrow.

From the bleak northern blast
May my cot be completely secured by a neighbouring hill,
And at night may repose steal upon me more sweet
By the sound of a murmuring rill.
For while peace and plenty I’d find at my port,
My heart free from sickness and sorrow;
With my friends I would share what each day could afford
And let them spread the table tomorrow.

And so at last I throw off this covering,
I’ve worn these three score years and ten,
On the brink of the grave I’ll not keep to seek hovering
Or my thread wish to spin o’er again.
My face in a glass I’ll serenely survey,
With smiles count the wrinkles and furrows,
For the worn out stuff that’s threadbare today
Becomes everlasting tomorrow.

The Mellstock Band sing The Downhills of Life

In the downhills of life when I find I’m declining
May my fate no less fortunate be
Than a snug elbow chair that is fit for reclining
And a cot that o’erlooks the wide sea
With an ambling pad pony to pace o’er the lawn
While I carol away idle sorrow
And blithe as the lark that each day hails the dawn
Look forward with hope to tomorrow

With a porch at my door both for shelter and shade too
As the sunshine or rain may prevail
A small plot of ground for the use of the spade too
And a barn for the use of the flail
A cow for my dairy, a dog for my game
And a purse when a friend wants to borrow
I would envy no neighbour his riches or fame
Nor what honour may wait him tomorrow

From the bleak northern blast may my cot be completely
Secured by a neighbouring hill
And at night may repose steal upon me more sweetly
By the sound of a murmuring rill
And while peace and plenty I find at my board
With a heart free from sickness and sorrow
With my friends I will share what each day may afford
And let them spread the table tomorrow