> June Tabor > Songs > The Banks of Red Roses

The Banks of the Roses / The Banks of Red Roses

[ Roud 603 ; Master title: The Banks of the Roses ; G/D 7:1444 ; Ballad Index Doe315 ; trad.]

Séamus Ennis sang The Bank of the Roses on the 1955 anthology The World Library of Folk and Primitive Music - Volume I: Ireland.

Duncan McPhee sang On the Bonny Banks o’ the Roses to Peter Kennedy at Blairgowrie in 1955. This recording was included in 1994 on the Saydisc anthology Songs of the Travelling People.

Ruby Kelbie sang Banks o’ Red Roses to Maurice Fleming at Blairgowrie in 1955. This recording was included in 2011 on the Greentrax anthology Songs and Ballads From Perthshire Field Recordings of the 1950s (Scottish Tradition 24).

Dominic Behan sang The Banks of the Roses on the 1963 Hullabaloo ABC Television programme broadcast on 2 November 1963.

Martyn Wyndham-Read sang Banks of the Roses on the 1966 Australian album A Wench, a Whale and a Pint of Good Ale. The album’s sleeve notes commented:

An Irish traditional ballad sung by Martyn. Colm Ó Lochlainn (Irish Street Ballads) prints a version learned from his mother.

Sarah Makem sang The Banks of Red Roses on her 1968 Topic LP Ulster Ballad Singer. This track was also included on Topic’s 70^th anniversary anthology, Three Score and Ten. Sean O’Boyle commented in her album’s sleeve notes:

In contrast to the light and airy theme of The Banks of the Roses (Irish Street Ballads, No. 80), Mrs. Makem’s song is a dark story of seduction and premeditated murder, on the lines of The Cruel Ship Carpenter, with which it should be compared. (English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians. Vol. 1, pp 317-327). See also E.F.S. Journal Vol. II, p 254. The tune is Doh Mode Hexatonic.

Pete and Chris Coe learned The Banks of Red Roses from the singing of Sarah Makem via her next-door neighbour. They recorded it in 1972 for their Trailer LP Open the Door and Let Us In. In 2017, Pete Coe returned to this song on his CD The Man in the Red Van. Their original album’s liner notes commented:

No motive is given for the murder, but unwanted pregnancy is a possible reason.

Lizzie Higgins sang The Banks of Red Roses on her 1969 Topic LP Princess of the Thistle. This recording was also included in 1998 on the Topic anthology of songs of love and amorous encounters, Who’s That at My Bed Window? (The Voice of the People Vol. 10).

In Ireland and England this is a love song in which the wayward hero produces a symbolic instrument, fiddle, tune-box, flute or even tuning fork, with which he serenades his girl. A version close to the English sets was collected by Gavin Greig in North-east Scotland but the most popular version in Scotland today has Johnny murdering his sweetheart. This change is probably the result of fusion between the former song and a 19^th century broadside ballad.

The Clutha sang The Banks o’ Red Roses in 1971 on their Argo album Scotia!. Don Martin commented in the liner notes:

This beautiful song is still to be found in oral tradition in the North East of Scotland. It makes a considerably stronger emotional impact than the Irish song, The Banks o’ the Roses, with which it forms an interesting contrast in styles.

Tom Gilfellon sang The Banks of Red Roses on his 1976 Topic album In the Middle of the Tune which got its name from a phrase in this song. He noted:

I plunge into The Banks of Red Roses, that swaggering, boastful song of the would-be super-lover which has, despite efforts to the contrary, remained one of my favourite songs of all time. I disclaim, however, all but the most passing of resemblances to the hero of the piece. Liz and Stefan Sobell accompany me on cittern and dulcimer.

Paul and Linda Adams sang The Banks of Red Roses in 1978 on their Fellside album Among the Old Familiar Mountains.

Mick Ryan sang The Banks of the Roses in 1978 on his and Jon Burge’s album Fair Was the City.

Ian Robb and Hang the Piper sang The Banks of Red Roses in 1979 on their Folk-Legacy album Ian Robb and Hang the Piper. Ian noted:

This is an Ulster version of a song found more commonly, but in less substantial form, in Scotland. I have taken the liberty of singing it the Scottish way, with a chorus, as I think it functions as a sort of “flash-back” reminder of the motive for murder. I guess I have been watching too many crime movies!

Learned from more people than I could number, but I believe this text comes from Sarah Makem, via Johnny Moynihan.

Maureen Jelks sang Banks o’ Red Roses on her 1988 album First Time Ever.

June Tabor sang The Banks of Red Roses on her 1988 album Aqaba.

Swan Arcade sang The Banks of the Roses in 1990 on their CD Full Circle.

Susie Allan sang The Banks of Red Roses on her 1998 album Tipsy Courting. She noted:

The moral of this sad story is that before agreeing to go for a walk by a river with a man, you should try very carefülly to judge if he intends to kill you. I learned this song from Maureen Jelks’ First Time Ever, one of my favourite albums.

Corrina Hewat sang Banks o’ Red Roses on the 1998 anthology Scottish Love Songs.

Battlefield Band sang The Banks of Red Roses on their 2000 album Happy Daze.

Alasdair Roberts sang On the Banks of Red Roses in 2005 on his CD No Earthly Man. He noted:

This murder ballad is from the singing of Ella Ward of Edinburgh, recorded in 1954. Ella learnt the song from the Scottish folklorist Hamish Henderson, who in turn learnt it from a blind singer from Elgin called Blin Jimmy. Blin Jimmy learnt it from the young daughter of a tinker who came collecting songs. Some versions of the song feature a violin instead of a ‘tuning box’, as is found here.

Cyril Tawney sang Banks of the Roses on his 2007 posthumous CD The Song Goes On.

Peter and Barbara Snape sang Banks of Red Roses on their 2008 CD Take to the Green Fields. Barbara Snape noted:

A story about the devious nature of men both young and old. This version is from Stephanie, the great granddaughter of Sarah Makem, a notable Ulster ballad singer and collector of songs. Sarah Makem died in 1983, leaving her children and grand children a rich collection of material and a singing tradition that they have carried around the world.

Niamh Boadle sang The Banks of the Roses in 2010 on her CD Wild Rose.

Jon Boden sang Banks of Red Roses as the 26 July 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He noted in the project’s blog:

This is one of a number of songs that I used as a template when I first started singing—learning each of June Tabor’s ornaments pretty much note for note. I’ve probably strayed a bit from it now but it’s a very good way of assimilating technical tricks of the trade.

Nuala Kennedy sang The Banks of the Roses in 2012 on her Compass CD Noble Stranger. She noted:

An old favourite of mine, with an incredibly spooky image in the last verse. The piece played by Iain [Macleod] in the break comprises two parts of the beautiful pipe march, The Skylark’s Ascension by piper Archie Lindsay of South Uist, Scotland. Written after a memorable night culminating in the sighting of a vast flock of skylarks taking to the sky in the early light of dawn, it seemed the perfect bedfellow for the dark happenings yet uplifting melody of the song.

Francy Devine sang Banks o Reid Roses on his 2014 album My Father Told Me. He noted:

I always liked the melody of this song but was never keen on versions that ended up with the woman being stabbed and put her in a grave, allegorical or not. John Bentham, of Loughborough and Tigerfolk, Long Eaton, then gave me a recording of his own rendition of Leicester singer Geoff Halford’s version. Now in his eighties, Halford got the song from Belle Stewart and it instantly appealed. I instinctively sang the song in Scots.

Johnny Campbell sang Banks of the Roses on his 2017 album Avalon.

Pete Coe sang The Banks of Red Roses in 2017 on his CD The Man in the Red Van. He commented in his liner notes:

I went to Ireland in the mid 60s, joined up with a group of singers and learned this song from one of them who came from Belfast and told me he was Sarah Makem’s next door neighbour. He’d learned this dark ballad from her and, recently I added a couple more verses from Scottish Travellers passed on to me by Pete Shepheard. Much to my shame, I can’t remember the name of the singer who gave me the song originally, and, much to my regret, I never did meet Sarah Makem who became my favourite traditional singer.

Band of Burns sang Banks of Red Roses in January 2017 at Union Chapel in London. A concert recording was released in the following year on their CD Live at the Union Chapel.

Polly Paulusma sang The Banks of Red Roses on her 2021 album of folk songs that influenced Angela Carter, Invisible Music.

Lyrics

Ruby Kelbie sings Banks o’ Red Roses

When I wis a wee thing an easy led astray,
Before I would work I would raither sport and play,
Before I would work I would raither sport and play
Wi my Johnny on the banks among red roses.

On the banks of red roses my love and I sat doon,
He took oot his charm box to play his love a tune.
In the middle o the tune his love sat doon and cried,
“O my Johnny, O my Johnny dinnae leave me!”

He took oot his charm box an played his love a tune.
In the middle o the tune his love broke doon and cried,
In the middle o the tune his love broke doon and cried,
“O my Johnny, O my Johnny dinnae leave me!”

He took oot his pocket knife and hit being long and sharp,
And he drew it through and through his bonnie lassie’s heart.
He drew it through and through his bonnie lassie’s heart
And he left her lying low amang the red roses.

Sarah Makem sings The Banks of Red Roses

Oh, when I was a young girl I heard my mother say
That I was a foolish lass and easy led astray.
And before I would work, I would rather sport and play
With my Johnny on the banks of red roses.

For he took her to his lodge and he treated her to tea,
Saying, “Drink my dearest Mary and come along with me,”
Saying, “Drink my dearest Mary and come along with me
To the bonny, bonny banks of red roses.”

On the banks of red roses my love and I sat down
And he pulled out his charm flute and played his lass a tune.
In the middle of the tune well the bonny lassie cried,
“Ara Johnny, lovely Johnny would you leave me?”

Well, they walked and they talked til they came unto a cave
Where Johnny all the day had been digging up a grave,
Where Johnny all the day had been digging up a grave
For to leave his lassie low among the roses.

Then he pulled out a pen knife, it was both long and sharp,
And he plunged it right into his own dear Mary’s heart.
And he plunged it right into his own dear Mary’s heart
And he left her lying low among the roses.

Lizzie Higgins sings The Banks of Red Roses

When I was a wee thing I heard my mother say,
“Before I would work I would rather sport and play,
Before I would work I would rather sport and play
With my Johnny down among the red roses.”

Johnny took out his tune-box to play his love a tune.
In the middle of the tune, she stood up and cried,
“Oh Johnny dear, oh Johnny dear, it’s dinna leave me noo
In the bonny, bonny banks beneath the roses.”

Bur Johnny took out a knife; it was long, thin and sharp.
He’s plunged it right into bis bonny Mary’s hart,
He’s plunged it right into bis bonny Mary’s hart
And he left her lying low beneath the roses.

June Tabor sings The Banks of Red Roses

When I was a wee thing and easy led astray
It’s before I would work I would rather sport and play,
It’s before I would work I would rather sport and play
With my Johnny on the banks of red roses.

On the banks of red roses my love and I sat down
He took out his fiddle and began to play a tune.
And when the tune was ended, his love broke down and cried,
“Oh Johnny, darling Johnny, never leave me!”

He took out his pocket knife, and it was long and sharp
And he plunged it through and through the bonny lassie’s hart,
He plunged it through and through the bonny lassie’s heart
And he left her lying low among the roses.

(repeat first verse)

Francy Devine sings Banks o Reid Roses

I am a rovin’ fiddler an I roam frae toon tae toon,
Ma soldier licht is fiddlin an I’ll ne’er settle doon.
I play at aa the dances where they’re jigging tae ma tunes,
Aye, its every evenin’ I’ve anither true love.

Och, its when I meet a bonnie lass, it’s “Come awa wi me,
Frae yer faither an yer mither, I will set ye free.
I will roll you in my airms tho a-sleepin ye may be
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o reid roses.”

By the banks o reid rose, ma love an I sat doon
An I took oot ma fiddle for tae play ma love a tune.
In the middle o the tune, och, she cried an she said,
“Och, Johnnie, lovely Johnnie, dinnae leave me.”

“Weel, before I left ma hame, sir, ma faither he did say,
He’d rather see me deid, aye an buried in the clay,
Than tae see me mairried tae ony runaway
Or a lad that’s naething bit a fiddling rover.

“Och, weel I’m no a runaway an I will hae ye know,
I can haud ma liquor, lass, or leave it alane.
An if yer parents dinnae like it they can leave their dochter hame
An young Johnnie he’ll go rovin wi anither.”

Weel, I’m putting on ma boots noo an I’ll tak up ma pack
I’ll tuck awa ma fiddle an I’ll put it on ma back,
I’m gonna tak ma leave noo an swagger on ma way
Bade fare weel tae the banks o reid roses.