Tradtitional
Chords for The Butcher Boy, transcribed by John Meranda.
Lyrics
In More Street where I did dwell
A butcher boy I loved right well
He courted me my life away
And now with me he will not stay
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I was a maid again
But a maid again I’ll never be
Till cherries grow on an apple tree
I wish my baby it was born
And smiling on its daddy’s knee
And me poor girl to be dead and gone
With the long green grass growing over me
He went upstairs and the door he broke
He found her hanging from a rope
He took his knife and he cut her down
And in her pocket these words he found
”Oh make my grave large, wide and deep
Put a marble stone at my head and feet
And in the middle a turtle dove
So the world may know I died of love”
Here’s a more traditional treatment from Irish folk legends The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem:
I didn’t think my memory was failing me too bad… but this track was originally part of the audiobook for Patrick McCabe’s (amazing) novel of the same name (1993).
Kirsty is credited with the music on that set and until the Croydon box it was not really possible to have the tune as a separate thing. However, its extremely effective as part of the book – which is worth a listen or a read, brutal though it may be.
Here’s the audiobook preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqtMssHXSL4&t=142s
First line is “In London City, where I did dwell”
You’re quoting the Clancy Brothers version. The lyrics are transcribed from Kirsty’s. I’ll see if I can find a youtube link that still works to reinstate it.
Thanks. The lyrics here are transcribed from Kirsty’s version. I’ll see if there’s a youtube link that still works.
There are 2 verses missing.
SHE WENT upstairs to go to bed, and calling to her mother said, give me a chair till I sit down, and a pen and ink till I write down.
At every word she she shed a tear, for every line cried “Willie dear” “Oh what a foolish girl was I, to fall in love with a butcher boy..
Then continues..He went upstairs…
Can this mp3 be purchased?
great grandmother ised to sing this song when she rocked us to sleep and no one is still living who remembers the words
So many of us have been trying to remember.
I think there have been various versions of this song along similar themes. So used to Kirsty’s now I forget!