> Folk Music > Songs > One Morning in May / To Hear the Nightingale Sing / The Soldier and the Lady

One Morning in May / To Hear the Nightingale Sing / The Soldier and the Lady

[ Roud 140 ; Laws P14 ; TYG 34 ; Ballad Index LP14 ; VWML AW/4/192 ; Bodleian Roud 140 ; GlosTrad Roud 140 ; Wiltshire 988 ; Mudcat 4319 ; trad.]

Jean Ritchie sang two versions of One Morning in May in 1952 on her Elektra album Singing the Traditional Songs of Her Traditional Kentucky Mountain Family. Edward Tatnall Canby wrote in the sleeve notes:

Also known as The Nightingale, this exists in a great many related versions in the South and in England. The story of the soldier and his fiddle with his wife and children at home is a classic.

and:

Another version of the same song—note the substitution of “Kentucky” for “London”. Jean Ritchie collected this one from a young man in North Carolina who sang it as he had heard it from his father.

Frederick Cantwell (73) and Raymond Cantwell of Standlake, Oxfordshire, accompanied (by Frederick's son Raymond?) on melodeon, sang The Soldier and the Lady in 1956 to Peter Kennedy. A two-verse snippet of this was included on the anthology Songs of Seduction (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 2; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968); the album's booklet prints two more verses. The Rounder CD re-issue from 2000 has another version with only Frederick Cantwell singing to his son's melodeon accompaniment. This version is four verses long, and the booklet again gives an additional verse. Kennedy's Folktracks cassette Blackbirds and Thrushes and his book Folksongs of Britain and Ireland attribute this song to Raymond and John Cantwell. I don't know if this is a mis-naming or a third version.

Jim ‘Brick’ Harber of Three Bridges, Sussex, sang The Bold Privateer in 1959 to Ken Stubbs. The latter printed this version in 1970 in his EFDS book The Life of a Man.

Charlie Carver sang The Grenadier and the Lady to John Howson at Tostock Gardeners' Arms in 1960. This recording was included in 1993 on the Veteran anthology of traditional music making from Mid-Suffolk, Many a Good Horseman. John Howson commented in the album's liner notes:

This 19^th century ballad that warns of the unreliability of soldiers does not seem to have reached Scotland or Ireland, yet was extremely prevalent in America and Canada. In England it seems to have been mainly found in southern counties, particularly in the west country: Cecil Sharp collected it from no less that nine different singers in Somerset between 1904 and 1907 and H.E.D. Hammond noted it down four times in Dorset around the same time.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group sang To Hear the Nightingale Sing in 1963 on their Transatlantic album This Is the Ian Campbell Folk Group.

Tom and Claudia Paley sang The Fiddling Soldier in 1964 on their Topic album with Peggy Seeger, Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot?.

Tina Greer of the Watson Family sang One Morning in May in May 1965 to Ralph Rinzler and Daniel Seeger. This recording was released in 1977 on the Rounder/Topic album The Watson Family Tradition.

Isla Cameron sang The Bold Grenadier on the soundtrack of the 1967 Richard Rodney Bennett film Far from the Madding Crowd (after the Thomas Hardy novel). This recording was also included in 1987 on the BBC anthology Through Bushes and Briar.

Queen Caroline Hughes sang The Soldier and the Lady in her caravan near Blandford, Dorset, on 19 April 1968 to Peter Kennedy. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of Southern English gypsy traditional singers, I'm a Romany Rai (The Voice of the People Series, Volume 22). An earlier recording titled The Lady and the Soldier, and made by Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker in 1963 or 1966, was included in 2014 on her Musical Traditions anthology Sheep-Crook and Black Dog.

The Broadside sang The Bold Grenadier on their 1971 album of Lincolnshire folk songs, The Gipsy's Wedding Day, and on their 1973 Topic album of songs and ballads collected in Lincolnshire, The Moon Shone Bright. They noted:

[…] from the singing of Luther (Luke) Stanley of Barrow-on-Humber [as collected by Ethel Rudkin in 1957]. It is often called The Soldier and the Lady. Freud would have been interested in its symbolism. Luke's tune is a member of the Polly Oliver family. John Conolly sings it here in the ornamented style of Joseph Taylor.

George Dunn sang a fragment of Hear the Nightingale Sing on 24 May 1971 to Roy Palmer. This recording was included in 2002 on Dunn's Musical Traditions anthology Chainmaker.

Almeda Riddle from Heber Springs, Arkansas, sang The Nightingale Song in 1972 on her Rounder album Ballads and Hymns from the Ozarks.

James Taylor sang One Morning in May with Linda Ronstadt on his 1972 album One Man Dog. His version is quite near to the one of Caroline Hughes.

The Washington D.C. group The Country Gentlemen sang One Morning in May on their eponymous 1973 Vanguard album The Country Gentlemen and on their 1985 Vanguard compilation album of the same name.

Frank Hinchliffe sang Hear the Nightingales Sing on his 1977 Topic album of traditional songs from South Yorkshire, In Sheffield Park. Ruairidh and Alvina Greig commented in the sleeve notes:

Versions of this song have frequently been noted in England and in North America, although some early collectors considered it rather unsuitable for publication. Frank does not remember it being much sung in his area. There is a close similarity between his version and the ones sung by singers we have recorded in North Lincolnshire. It is a good example of the use of symbolism in folksong to describe amatory encounters.

Arthur Howard sang this song as Water Rattle in a 1981 recording made by Ian Russell in Hazlehead, Yorkshire. It was included in the same year on his Hill & Dale album Merry Mountain Child. Steve Round included Howard's version as Bold Grenadier in 2012 in The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs.

Charles Pittman sang As I Was A-Walking on his and fellow Cornishman Tommy Morrissey's Veteran cassette Pass Around the Grog (VT122, ca. 1987). This track was also included in 2004 on the Veteran compilation of folk songs sung in the West Country, Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and All. John Howson commented in the latter's liner notes:

Often known as The Grenadier and the Lady this a popular song in the West Country. H.E.D. Hammond collected five variants in Somerset and Dorset between 1905-7 including one from W. Barlett at Wimborne and in 1950 Peter Kennedy recorded Walter Haynes singing it in the bar of the Ilchester Arms at Abbotsbury. The song was also popular in other parts of the country and frequently turns up in America. It is a favourite with the Holme Valley Beagles in South Yorkshire where it’s called Where the Watter Rattles and George Dunn sang it in the Midlands under the title The Nightingale Sings.

Arthur Knevett sang Nightingales Sing on his 1988 cassette Mostly Ballads. Vic Gammon commented in the album's notes:

The poet and song collector John Clare wrote:

Snares are so thickly laid in woman's way,
The common ballad teaches men betray.

This Hardyesque tale of seduction and betrayal was collected by the Hammond Brothers in Dorset. Nature and musical imagery juxtaposed with the selfishness of the soldier create a tension that gives the song its lasting interest.

John McCormick sang One Morning in May in 1998 on his CD Between Our Hearts.

Jonny Hardy sang The Nightingale on his 2005 album Lucky Jonny. He noted:

This song I seem to have known forever. I think I first learned it from my sister Katherine on long car journeys when we were kids.

Pete Castle sang Nightingales Sing on his 2006 CD Poor Old Horse. He noted:

Collected by Hammond in Dorset. A grown up telling of Soldier, Soldier Won’t You Marry Me? And, of course, he won’t! The Soldier’s Jig is our own concoction based on the melody.

A very young Hannah James sang The Bold Grenadier in 2006 on Kerfuffle's third CD, Links.

Viv Legg sang One Morning in May in 2006 on her Veteran CD Romany Roots.

Al O'Donnell learned One Morning in May from Jean Ritchie. He sang it in 2008 on his double CD Ramble Away.

Jane and Amanda Threlfall sang The Bold Grenadier on their 2008 CD Sweet Nightingale. They noted:

He's never going to do it… Requesting a soldier to marry manifests itself in not only the many variants of this particular song but in many others, too.

Attachment to the colourful life of soldiery was, perhaps, a very popular prospect in the minds of young ladies of the time, but these songs serve as a warning of the most likely outcome. To quote Roy Palmer: “Mothers with nubile daughters were particularly wary of soldiers, who were proverbial for the girls they left behind.” Precis that, if you can.

These three verses were sung by Isla Cameron, to great effect, on the soundtrack of the 1967 film, Far from the Madding Crowd.

Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner sang Bold Grenadier in 2014 on their WildGoose CD Far Distant Stars. They noted:

A song of seduction and deceit.

Andy Turner learned The Nightingales Sing from the singing of Frederick and Raymond Cantwell. He sang it as the 24 May 2014 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

Rosie Hood sang The Lady and the Soldier in 2014 on The Dovetail Trio's eponymous EP, The Dovetail Trio, and a year later on their CD Wing of Evening. Rosie noted:

Also known as The Bold Grenadier and To Hear the Nightingales Sing, this version was collected in 1915 by Alfred Williams from Edward Kemble of South Marston, Wiltshire [ VWML AW/4/192 ] . Williams didn't collect tunes, which made his note of “The tune is very sweet, which accounted for its success” all the more frustrating.

This video shows The Dovetail Trio at Barnsley Acoustic Roots Day on 30 March 2014:

Will Noble sang Water Rattle on his 2017 Veteran CD It's Gritstone for Me. Brian Peters and John Howson noted:

The well-known To Hear the Nightingales Sing can be traced back as far as 1636, although its popularity in tradition is probably down to nineteenth century broadsides. Will heard this version from Arthur Howard, whose line “She loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingale sing” is different from the formula usually found in the lyric.

Belinda Kempster sang Nightingales on Stick in the Wheel's 2019 anthology From Here: English Folk Field Recordings Volume 2. They noted:

I've always sung it. You know how singers have a repertoire of songs, and some songs go in and out of fashion, and you get fed up with some? I found an old song list from about 30 years ago, and there were some on there where I thought, I don't even know what that song is! But I've always sung Nightingales and I've always really really liked it, not because of the ending, which is typical isn't it? What a dirty dog he is in the end. I think it's the modal tune, I just love modal music, it does something to me. I can't remember when or where I learnt it, I assimilated it if you like, I have no idea, but it was a long long time ago, probably just hearing people sing it a folk clubs. You don't hear it much these days, it used to be a lot more popular. It's the melody more than anything. I did check it before I came out, it's Dorian. It's like an old friend. While I can sing, I will always sing it.

One Morning in May

Len Graham sang a somewhat similar song of seduction and abandonement called One Morning in May on his 1977 Topic album of traditional songs, ballads and lilts, Wind and Water, But in this song the seducer isn't a soldier and the sweet singing birds aren't identified as nightingales. I still sort it here as I can't find a Roud number that fits better. Len Graham commented:

This is yet another song I learnt from the late John McGrath. There is a modest seduction scene—modest as with most Irish songs, the seduction isn’t too explicit. In this case “When the birds sang so sweet, this young man proved his deceit.”

Ken Wilson and Jim MacFarland sang One Morning in May in 2017 on their CD Here's a Health to the Company!. They noted:

Learnt this song from the singer Len Graham.

Lyrics

Frederick and Raymond Cantwell sing The Soldier and the Lady

As I was walking one morning in May,
I saw a sweet couple together at play.
O the one was a fair maid and her beauty shone clear,
And the other was a soldier and a brave grenadier.

Chorus (after each verse):
But they kissed so sweet and comforting as they pressed to each other,
They went (h)armin' along the road like sister and brother.
They went (h)armin' along the road till they came to a spring,
Then they both sat down together just to hear the nightingale sing. (whistle)

Then out of his knapsack he drew a long fiddle,
And he played to her such merry tunes that she (h)ever did hear;
And he played to her such merry tunes, caused the valleys to ring,
“Hark, hark,” replied the fair maid, “'Ow the nightingale sing.”

Frederick Cantwell sings The Soldier and the Lady

As I was a-walking one morning in May,
I saw a sweet couple together at play.
O the first was a fair lady, so beautiful and so fair,
And the other was a soldier, a brave grenadier.

Then out of his knapsack he drew a long fiddle,
And he played to her such merry tunes that she (h)ever did hear;
O he played to her such merry tunes, caused the valleys to ring,
“Hark, hark,” replied the fair maid, “How the nightingale sing.”

“Now I'm going to India for seven long years, [I been there!]
Drinking wines and strong whisky instead of strong beers.
And if ever I should return again, 't will be in the spring,
Then we'll both sit down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing!”

Then up spake the fair lady, “So, soldier, tarry with me!”
“No, no,” replied the soldier, “How ever can it be?
For I've got a little wife at home in my own counterie,
And she is the fairest little woman that your eyes ever seen.”

Charlie Carver sings The Grenadier and the Lady

Oh as I walk-ed out one morning in May.
There I saw a couple together at play.
Oh one was a lady I'll vow and declare.
And the other a soldier, a bold grenadier.

“Oh now!” said the soldier, “Shall we walk together?”
He rapped his coat round her, to keep her from the weather.
They walked 'til they came down to yonder spring.
Where the small birds they whistle and the nightingales sing.

The soldier he caught up the lady by the middle.
And out of his knapsack he pulled out a fiddle.
And he played her such merry tunes caused the valleys to ring.
“Hark! Hark!” said the lady, “How the nightingales sing.”

“Oh now,” said the soldier, “It's time to give o'er.”
“Oh no.” said the lady, “Play me one tune more.”
“It's the charms of your music and the deeds of your strings.”
“Hark! Hark!” said the soldier, “How the nightingales sing.”

“Oh now,” said the lady, “ Won't you marry me?”
“Oh no.” said the soldier, “That never can be.”
“I've a wife and three children in the North country.
And a prettier woman did your eyes ever see?”

”And to the East Indies love, I am bound out.
To enjoy the sweet wine and the city brown stout.
But if ever I return again. It'll be in the spring.
When the small birds they whistle and the nightingale sing.”

Queen Caroline Hughes sings The Lady and the Soldier

Oh, as I were a-walking one morning in May,
Oh, a fair pretty couple I chanced for to meet.
Oh, one she were a fair maid, she were dressed all in blue,
And the other was a soldier, he’s a jolly dragoon.

“Oh, where now are you going, my fair purty maid,
Oh, where are you going so early this way?”
“Oh, for I am a-going down to yonder shady tree,
Oh, to set and watch the flowers grow and hear the nightingales sing.”

“Oh, may I come ‘long with you, my fair purty maid?
Oh, may I come ‘long with you so early your way?”
Now, we both walked on together, me boys,
‘Til we come to some old shady tree.

Oh, he throwed off his knapsack and he pulled out his flute.
He played her such music caused the valleys to ring,
“And ‘tis thus, me lovely fair maid, how a nightingale sing.”

“Oh now,” said the soldier, “It’s time to give o’er.”
“Oh no,” said the fair maid, “play me up one tune more.
Well, I would rather hear your fiddle play by the touch of its string
There I’d set and watch the flowers grow and hear the nightingale sing.”

“Oh now,” said the fair maid, “will you marry me?”
“Oh no,” said the soldier, “it won’t never be.
For I’ve got a little wife at home in my own counteree,
She’s called the cleverest little woman that your eyes ever see.”

“Well now,” said the fair maid, “Oh, what shall I do?
My apron strings won’t tie now, my gown won’t pull to.
And if ever I return again, it shall be in the spring,
Oh, to set and watch the flowers grow; hear the nightingale sing.
And if ever I return again, it shall be in the spring,
Oh, to set and watch the flowers grow; hear the nightingale sing.”

James Taylor sings One Morning in May

One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I spied a young couple they were making their way,
One was a maiden so bright and so fair
And the other was a soldier and a brave volunteer.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning,” said he.
“And where are you going my pretty lady?”
“I'm going out a-walking on the banks of the sea
Just to see the waters glide and hear the nightingale sing.”

Now they had not been standing but a minute or two
And out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew.
And the tune that he played made the valleys all ring.
“Oh hark,” cried the maiden, “hear the nightingale sing.”

“O maiden, fair maiden, 'tis time to give o'er.”
“Oh no, kind soldier, please play one tune more,
For I'd rather hear your fiddle and the touch of one string
Than to see the waters glide and hear the nightingale sing.”

“O soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me?”
“Oh no, pretty maiden, that never shall be.
I've a wife down in London and children twice three,
Two wives and the army's too many for me.

“Well I'll go back to London and I'll stay there for a year,
It's often that I'll think of you, my little dear.
And if ever I return it will be in the spring
Just to see the waters glide and hear the nightingale sing,
To see the waters glide and hear the nightingale sing.”

The Country Gentlemen sing One Morning in May

One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I spied a young couple; they were making their way.
One was a maiden so bright and so fair,
The other a soldier, and a brave volunteer.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning,” said he,
“Where are you going my pretty lady?”
“I'm going out walking on the banks of the sea
To see the waters glide and hear the nightingale sing.”

They had not been standing but a minute or two
When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew.
The tune that he played made the valleys all ring.
“Oh hark,” said the lady, “hear the nightingale sing!”

“Oh maiden, fair maiden, 'tis time to give o'er.”
“Oh no, kind soldier, please play one tune more,
I'd rather hear your fiddle with the touch of one string
Than see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing.”

“Oh soldier, kind soldier, will you marry me?”
“Oh no, pretty maiden, that never shall be,
I've a wife down in London and children twice three,
Two wives and the army's too many for me.

“I'll go back to London and stay for a year,
It's often I'll think of you my little dear.
If ever I return it'll be in the spring
To see the waters glide and hear the nightingales sing.”

George Dunn talks on and sings Hear the Nightingale Sing

This one is about a soldier, he was from the north country, as he was a-walking it home—he'd been discharged from the army—and he was walking it home and he met this beautiful damsel—there was a lot of beautiful damsels! Her met her and he started to talk to her. He asked if he could take her in the wood where the pretty flowers grew—she told him that—in the wood where the pretty flowers grew and the nightingale sung; and 'er took him in the wood and showed him the stream and the flowers… They both sat down together, when out of his knapsack he pulled out a fiddle and he played her such a merry tune, made all the woods ring …

And he played her such a merry tune, made all the woods ring.
“Hark, hark,” says the fair maid, “how the nightingale sing.”

“Oh now,” said the fair maid, “can you marry me?”
“Oh no,” said the soldier, “that never can be,
For I have a wife of my in my own countery,
And as pretty a little woman as ever you did see.”

“Oh now,” said the fair maid, “you must marry me.”
“Oh no,” said the soldier, “that never can be;
But if ever I return again, it shall be in the spring,
For to see the pretty flowers grow and hear the nightingale sing.”

Arthur Howard sings Bold Grenadier

As I was out walking one fine summer's day
I met a young couple upon the highway.
One was a female and a beauty was she
And the other was a soldier in the Artillery.
There was one was a female and a beauty was she
And the other was a soldier in the Artillery.

Now the soldier and the female they strolled on together,
They strolled side by side till they came to the river.
And they sat themselves down by the side of the stream
For she loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.
And they sat themselves down by the side of the stream
For she loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.

Then the soldier took the female with his arms round her middle
He out with his string and he up with his fiddle.
And he played her a tune to the length of his string
For she loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.
And he played her a tune to the length of his string
For she loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.

Said the soldier to the female, “It's time to give o'er.”
Said the female to the soldier, “Just play me one more,
Just play one more tune to the length of your string
For I loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.
Just play one more tune to the length of your string
For I loved to hear the water rattle and the nightingales sing.”

Hannah James sings The Bold Grenadier

As I was a-walking one morning in May
I spied a young couple, a-making of hay.
One was a fair maid, her beauty shone clear,
The other was a soldier, a bold grenadier.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning,” said he,
“And where are you going, my pretty lady?”
“O I'm going a-walking by the clear crystal streams
To see cool waters glide and hear nightingales sing.”

“O soldier, o soldier, will you marry me?”
“O no, my sweet lady, that can never be.
I've got a wife at home in my own country;
Two wives in the army are too many for me.”

(repeat first verse)

Al O'Donnell sings One Morning in May

One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I met a young couple enquiring their way.
They stood and concluded to go by the stream
To see the water gilding, hear the nightingale sing.

And out of his knapsack he drew a fine fiddle
And played her sweet tunes that made the woods ring.
And played her sweet tunes there by the stream
To see the water gilding, hear the nightingale sing.

“Fair soldier, fair soldier, will you marry me?”
“O no!” cried the soldier, “That never could be.
For I have a wife in my own country
And she is the fairest little thing you ever did see.”

“I'm off to Kentucky, to fight for a while,
A-drinking strong whisky instead of strong beer.
And if ever I return it'll be in the spring
To see the water gilding, hear the nightingale sing.”

Rosie Hood sang The Lady and the Soldier

It was early one morning in the merry month of May
When I spied a young couple together at play.
One was a pretty fair maid, whose beauty shone so clear,
𝄆 And the other was a soldier, a bold Grenadier. 𝄇

There were kisses and sweet compliments they gave to each other,
They walked hand in hand, like sister and brother.
They walked hand in hand till they came to a spring
𝄆 Where they both sat down together to hear the nightingale sing. 𝄇

He undid his knapsack and drew out a fiddle,
He put one arm around her, yes, right round her middle.
He played her a merry tune that made the valleys ring—
𝄆 “Oh, hark!” said the fair maid, “how the nightingales sing!” 𝄇

“Oh, now,” said the soldier, “it's time to give o'er.”
“Oh, no,” said the fair maid, “play me one tune more,
For the listening of your music and the touching of your string,
𝄆 I'd rather much more have it than hear the nightingale sing.” 𝄇

“Oh, now,” said the fair maid, “will you marry me?”
“Oh, no,” said the soldier, “that can never be.
I've a wife and three children in my own country,
𝄆 Such a nice little woman as you ever did see. 𝄇

“I am bound for old India for seven long years,
To drink wine and whisky instead of strong beer.
And if ever I return again, may it be in the spring!
𝄆 When we'll both sit down together to hear the nightingale sing.” 𝄇

Len Graham sings One Morning in May

One morning in May as I carelessly did stray
For to view yon green meadows and the lambs sport and play,
In the clear morning dew as I lay down to muse
A fair maiden of honour appeared in my view.

Said I, “Pretty maid how happy we could be?
For it is so decreed, love, that married we should be.
Let me not see you frown for this heart is your own.”
When these words they were spoken sure the tears trickled down.

“Come dry up your tears, there is nothing to fear.
I will roam through the green fields for many's the long year.”
When the birds sang so sweet this young man proved his deceit
Saying, “Adieu pretty fair maid, we will never more meet.”

With my snuff box and cane the whole world I would range,
Like Venus or Diana in search of her swain.
While the moon does shine clear I will mourn for my dear,
Over mountains, clear fountains, where no-one will hear.

There's one thing I know and that before I go
I will never return for to hear your sad woe.
There's another thing I know and that before I go
That the ranger and the stranger have many's the foe.

Acknowledgements

Thank you very much to Garry Gillard for telling me of and transcribing James Taylor's One Morning in May.