> Peter Bellamy > Songs > A-Roving on a Winter’s Night
> Shirley Collins > Songs > Dearest Dear

A-Roving on a Winter’s Night / Dearest Dear / Every Day Is Three

[ Roud 3601 ; G/D 8:1540 ; Ballad Index SKE40 ; VWML RVW2/2/202 , CJS2/9/2359 ; DT REDREDR2 ; Mudcat 49071 ; trad.]

Alasdair Clayre: 100 Folk Songs and New Songs Vance Randolph: Ozark Folksongs Cecil J. Sharp: English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians

Shirley Collins sang the parting song Dearest Dear in 1964 on her and Davy Graham’s album Folk Roots, New Routes. This recording was also included in 2002 on her anthology Within Sound.

The song basically consist of a lot of floating verses that amongst others also appear in A-Roving on a Winter’s Night, a song from the family repertoire of Doc Watson of Deep Gap, North Carolina. His cousin Dolly Greer sang it in a 1964 recording that was published in 1977 on the LP The Watson Family Tradition.

Hobert Stallard of Waterloo, Ohio, sang Woe Unto You, the Time Has Come to Mark Wilson and Annadeene Fraley on 29 August 1973. This recording was included in 2007 omn the Musical Traditions anthology of folk songs of the Upper South, Meeting’s a Pleasure Volume 1. Mark Wilson noted:

Although most of the elements within this lyrical package are British in origin, they seem to have stabilized into an identifiable cluster of their own within America, usually identified by their opening salutation, either as here or as My Dearest Dear, the Time Draws Near. Gordon McCann and I obtained an Ozark text that is quite similar to Hobert’s and Belden quotes a Missouri Civil War diary to the same effect.

Some good recorded examples: E.&D. Ramsey, MT 321; Doug Wallin, MT 323; Dolly Reed, Rdr 0129; Banjo Bill Cornett, FRC 304; Tommy Jarrell, Cty 2718.

Margaret MacArthur sang Dearest Dear in 1975 on her Philo album The Old Songs. She noted:

This song comes from Cecil Sharp’s Eighty English Folksongs From the Southern Appalachians, with two additional verses (3 and 4) from Vance Randolph’s Ozark Folksongs. In Mrs. Flander’s files I have found a New England version dating from the late 18^th century.

Peter Bellamy and Lisa Null sang A-Roving on a Winter’s Night in 1979 on his LP Both Sides Then. The track was also included on his Free Reed anthology Wake the Vaulted Echoes.

Doug Wallin sang The Time Draws Near to Mike Yates at his home at Crane Branch, Madison County, North Carolina on 23 May 1983. This recording was releases in 1983 on Yates’ Home-Made Music album of Blue Ridge Mountain music from Virginia and North Carolina, Appalachia – The Old Traditions Volume 2, and was included in 2002 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs, tunes and stories from Mike Yates’ Appalachian collections, Far in the Mountains Volume 3. Mike Yates noted:

Cecil Sharp collected a very similar set, titled My Dearest Dear, on 5 August 1916, from Mary Sands, Doug Wallin‘s great-aunt [VWML CJS2/9/2359, CJS2/10/3220] . Another North Carolina recording, sung by Dolly Greer, may be heard on the album The Watson Family Tradition (Rounder CD 0129), while two other notable recordings of it are Tommy Jarrell‘s, as My Dearest Dear on (County LP 757 Clawhammer Banjo, Volume 3) and from Dan Tate, as As Time Draws Near on a Prentice-Hall LP anthology, Anglo-American Folksong Style. Mark Wilson has found it to be popular in Kentucky and the Ozarks and is sure that it is far more popular than its scattered appearances in songbooks would suggest.

Martin Simpson played Dearest Dear in 1985 on his Topic album Sad or High Kicking.

Sara Grey sang As I Roved Out in 1994 on her Harbourtown CD Sara. She noted:

A mixed version from an early recording of Doc Watson and various other versions I’ve heard over the years.

Ian Robb sang A-Roving on a Winter’s Night on his 1994 CD From Different Angels. He noted:

A-Roving on a Winter’s Night is from the repertoire of the (Doc) Watson family of North Carolina, and I must give a nod to Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin’s version, as well as to that of Peter [Bellamy], Lisa Null and Bill Shute.

Brian Peters and Gordon Tyrrall sang Farewell My Dearest Dear in 1996 on their Harbourtown album Clear the Road. They noted:

Horsham in Sussex seems to have been a good place for singers. Henry Burstow lived there, as did the source for this song, a Mrs Verrall, from whom it was collected by Vaughan Williams in 1904 [VWML RVW2/2/202]

Steve Tilston sang Roving on a Winter’s Night in 1998 on his Fellside album Solorubato. He and Maggie Boyle also recorded it in 2006 for the Free Reed 4 CD anthology Midwinter.

Maggie Holland sang Roving on a Winter’s Night in 2003 on her CD Circle of Light. She noted:

I learned Roving on a Winter’s Night from the singing of Doc Watson—although the Appalachian tradition came up with a sprightly tune the words seem to be descended via various floating verses from My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose. (I don’t know what a ‘butter rose’ is, but it sounds nice.) I think Robbie would have approved of the notion of drinking good old wine and reminiscing about some pretty little girl who’d broken his heart.

Elisabeth LaPrelle and her mother Sandy LaPrelle sang My Dearest Dear on her 2004 album Rain and Snow. She noted:

This is another Sheila Kay Adams song that I really love. My mother added the harmony so we could sing it together.

Cath and Phil Tyler sang Dearest Dear on her 2009 album The Hind Wheels of Bad Luck.

Jon Boden and Fay Hield sang A-Roving on a Winter’s Night as the 10 December 2010 entry of Jon’s project A Folk Song a Day.

Tim Eriksen sang Every Day Is Three on his 2012 album Josh Billings Voyage.

Irish duo Lumiere recorded My Dearest Dear as the title track of their 2013 album My Dearest Dear. Pauline Scanlon noted:

For the very beautiful Eileen Scanlon. I learned this song from the late Tony Small, a dear friend, musical comrade and a huge influence on me musically and personally. It’s a song about saying goodbye and letting go. It was a favourite of my mother’s so I’d like to sing it to her.

Emily Smith sang While Roving on a Winter’s Night as a bonus track of the download version of her 2014 album Echoes.

Barbarossa sang Dearest Dear in 2015 on Earth Records’ anthology of songs from the reportoire of Shirley Collins, Shirley Inspired….

Emily Sanders, Chris Parkinson and Pete Morton sang A-Roving on a Winter’s Night in 2016 on their Fellside album The Magical Christmas Tree.

Piers Cawley sang A-Roving on a Winter’s Night at a Trad Song Tuesday Twitter singaround. He included his recording in 2020 on his download EP Trad Song Tuesdays Volume 1.

Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage sang Winter’s Night in 2022 on their Topic CD Ink of the Rosy Morning. Ben Savage noted:

I learnt this from the inimitable Doc Watson. The opening imagery has always appeared so vivid and detailed in my mind’s eye.

The Furrow Collective sang Every Day Is Three in 2023 on their Hudson album We Know by the Moon. Lucy Farrell noted:

This is a variant of Dearest Dear noted down by Margaret MacArthur from someone in southern Vermont, and recorded on her 1975 album The Old Songs. I heard Tim Eriksen’s version on his 2012 album Josh Billings Voyage and it’s been in my head ever since.

Compare to this the related song The Turtle Dove.

Lyrics

Shirley Collins sings Dearest Dear

My dearest dear, the time draws near
When you and I must part,
And no one knows the inner grief
Of my poor aching heart.

Just to see what I suffered for your sake,
You are my love so dear.
I’d rather I could go with you
Or you could tarry here.

I wish your breast was made of glass
And in it I’d behold,
My name in secret I would write
In letters of bright gold.

Your name in secret I would write,
Believe me when I say
That you’re the one that I love best
Until my dying day.

And when you’re on some distant shore,
Think on your absent friend.
And when the wind blows high and clear
A line or two pray send.

And when the wind blows high and clear
Pray to send it love to me,
That I shall know by your hand-write
How times have gone with thee.

Dolly Greer sings A-Roving on a Winter’s Night

A-rovin’ on a winter’s night,
And a-drinkin’ good old wine;
Thinkin’ about that pretty little girl,
That broke this heart of mine.

She is just like a butter rose
That blooms in the month of June:
Or like some musical instrument
That’s just been lately tuned.

Perhaps it’s a trip to some foreign land
A trip to France or Spain.
But if I should go ten thousand miles
I’m a-comin’ back again.

And it’s who’s a-gonna shoe your poor little feet?
Who’s a-gonna glove your little hands?
Who’s a-gonna kiss your sweet little lips?
Honey who’s a-gonna be your man?

I’ll love you till the sea runs dry
And the rocks all melt in the sun;
I’ll love you till the day I die
Though you will never be my own.

(repeat first verse)

Hobert Stallard sings Woe Unto You, the Time Has Come

Woe unto you the time has come
That you and I must part
There’s no one knows the grief and woe
Of my poor aching heart.

What I have suffered for you, my love
It is to you, my dear
I wish that I could go with you
And you could tarry here.

Your eyes are of a sparkling blue
Like diamonds they do shine
Your disposition is so true
It charms this heart of mine.

I wish my breast was made of glass
Within yourself behold
Your name engraved upon my heart
Those letters sealed with gold.

Your name’s a secret to my heart
Believe me what I say
You are the one that I love best
Until my dying day.

Your eyes are of a sparkling blue
Your lips like rubies shine
Your disposition is so true
It charms this heart of mine.

The crow that is so black, my love
Will surely turn to white
If ever I prove false to you
Bright day shall turn to night.

Bright day shall turn to night, my love
The elements shall mourn
The fire shall cease and be no more
The raging sea shall burn.

Peter Bellamy sings A-Roving on a Winter’s Night

A-roving on a winter’s night
And a-drinking good old wine;
A-thinking all about that pretty little girl,
She broke this heart of mine.

She is just like a bud of rose
That blooms in the month of June;
She’s like some musical instrument
That has just been lately tuned.

So perhaps it is a trip to a foreign land,
Some trip to France or Spain,
But though I’d go ten thousand miles
I am coming back again.

But tell me who is gonna shoe your poor little foot,
And who will glove your tiny hand?
Tell me who is gonna kiss your sweet, sweet lips,
Tell me who will be your man.

I will love you till all the seas run dry
And the rocks all melt in the sun;
I will love you till the day I die
Though you’ll never be my own.

(repeat first verse)

Doug Wallin sings The Time Draws Near

The time draws near, my dearest dear,
When you and I must part.
And no-one knows the inner grief
Of my poor aching heart.

Or what I suffer for your sake,
The one I love so dear.
I wish that I could go with you,
Or you could tarry here.

I find my mother hard to leave,
My father‘s on my mind.
But for your sake, I‘ll leave them both,
I‘ll leave them all behind.

I wish your breast was made of glass,
Your heart I might behold.
Upon it I would write my name,
In letters of bright gold.

Upon it I would write my name,
Believe me when I say,
You are the one that I love best
Until my dying day.

When you are on some distant shore,
A line or two pray send;
And when the wind blows high and clear,
Think on your absent friend.

Yes, when the wind blows high and clear,
Pray send them love to me.
So I would know by your hand-write,
How things have been with thee.

The Furrow Collective sing Every Day Is Three

O my dearest dear, the time has come when we must part.
No one knows the inner grief of my poor aching heart
Or what I set sail or sank for the one I love so dear;
I wish that I could go with you or you could tarry here.

I wish my breast was made of glass and in it you might behold
Your name in secret I would write in letters of bright gold.
In letters of bright gold, true love, please believe me when I say,
You are the one that I love best until my dying day.

The crow that’s black, my dearest dear, will turn its colours white
The moon shall be in darkness, dear, the stars will give no light.
The brightest days to night, true love, all the elements shall mourn
If ever I prove false to be the raging seas shall storm.

Your company, my dearest dear, your company to me
Makes me think when you’re away that every day is three.
That every day is three, true love, and every hour ten,
Makes me weep when I should sleep and say I lost a friend.

So when you’re on some distant shore think on your absent friend,
When the wind blows high and clear a line to two please send.
When the wind blows high and clear please send a thought to me,
So I may know by your hand write how time has gone with thee.