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The Nightingale

from Of Love and War by Roary Skaista

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about

Also known as "The Bold Grenadier", "One Morning in May" and "The Soldier and the Lady", this Irish folk song was made popular by The Dubliners, although the story is a familiar one in the folk tradition. I learnt it around the campfire at Forest School Camps.

lyrics

LYRICS:

As I went a walking one morning in May,
I saw a young couple so fondly did stray.
And one was a young maid so sweet and so fair
And the other was a soldier and a bold Grenadier.

And they kissed so sweet and comforting as they clung to each other,
They went arming along the road like sister and brother,
They went arming along the road 'till they came to the stream
And they both sat down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.

Then out of his knapsack he drew a fine fiddle
And he played her such merry tunes that you ever did hear
And he played her such merry tunes that the valleys did ring
And the young maid started weeping to hear the nightingale sing.

And they kissed so sweet and comforting as they clung to each other,
They went arming along the road like sister and brother,
They went arming along the road 'till they came to the stream
And they both sat down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.

Oh, I am off to India for seven long years,
Drinking wines and strong whisky instead of strong beer
And if ever I return again 'twill be in the spring
And we'll both sit down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.

And they kissed so sweet and comforting as they clung to each other,
They went arming along the road like sister and brother,
They went arming along the road 'till they came to the stream
And they both sat down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.

"And then", says the fair maid, "won't you marry me?"
"Oh no", said the soldier, "however can that be?"
For I've my own wife at home in my own country
And she is the fairest little maid that you ever did see.

And we kiss so sweet and comforting as they cling to each other,
We go arming along the road like sister and brother,
We do arming along the road 'till we come to the stream
And we both sat down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.

credits

from Of Love and War, released August 1, 2016
Traditional

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Roary Skaista UK

Roary Skaista is a queer folk musician based in Oxford, performing traditional folk songs as well as their own material on the themes of love, nature and diversity.

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