> Folk Music > Songs > The Quern Song / Never Be Still

The Quern Song / Never Be Still

[Alfred Perceval Graves]

The Devil’s Interval sang The Quern Song live at the “Frost and Fire: Singing the Seasons” concerts with Waterson:Carthy in Winter 2006.

One of these concerts, recorded live at the Farnham Maltings on 11 December 2006 and broadcast on the Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 2, on 17 December 2006 was posted by Kev Boyd in his blog Come Sing It Plain… and can be found on YouTube:

I found the lyrics of the song online where they are called Never Be Still (Harvest Song) and are attributed to Alfred Perceval Graves (1846-1931). I don’t know of any official recording of this song by The Devil’s Interval.

Lyrics

The Devil’s Interval sing The Quern Song

Maids at morn, grind the good corn
Each in her mill, with a will
In go the oats, wheats and pearly barley
Down in a shower falls the flour

Winding strong, grinding all day long
Round, round and around goes the mill
Grinding turn about till the meal is out
Must never ever stand still

Those hands that are the strongest
Will find a welcome here
And they who work the longest
Shall earn the best cheer

(repeat chorus)