> Martin Carthy > Songs > Oh Had I a Golden Thread

Oh Had I a Golden Thread

[ Roud - ; Pete Seeger]

The Three City Four sang Pete Seeger’s song Oh Had I a Golden Thread in 1965 on their eopnymous first album on the Decca label, Three City Four. This track was also included in 2001 on the Martin Carthy anthology The Carthy Chronicles.

Judy Collins sang Oh Had I a Golden Thread on her 1970 album Whales and Nightingales.

Pete Morton recorded Oh Had I a Golden Thread as the title track of his 2020 album A Golden Thread.

Lyrics

The Three City Four sing Oh Had I a Golden Thread

If had I a golden thread and needle oh so fine
I would weave a magic strand of rainbow design,
Of rainbow design.

Far across the waters I’d reach my magic band
Through foreign cities to every single land,
To every land.

And I would weave the restlessness of men going ever forth
Through scorching desert sands and blizzards of the north
Through the frozen north

And I would weave the bravery of women giving birth,
I would weave the innocence of children of the earth,
Children of the earth.

Show my brothers and sisters my rainbow design,
Bind up this sorry world with hand and heart and mind,
Hand and heart and mind.

And I would weave the memory of a million nameless men
Who never gained the victory but never would give in
But never gave in

Far over the waters I’d reach my magic band
To all the people in this world so they would understand,
So they’d understand.

If had I a golden thread and needle oh so fine
I would weave a magic strand of rainbow design,
Of rainbow design.