The Tolkien Coming of Age Club - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Hilde Bracegirdle · 06-04-2003, 10:36 AM

Whoa, Moody Blues and Steeleye Span! Good taste. (I had to break out my copy of "Hark! The Village Wait" after "Ummagumma" finished playing here at work)

Birdland, I think Steeleye Span took those words from a nursery rhyme. I ran across them in one of my daughter's books when we were living in India, and who knows were the book got them from!

I know this doesn't sound like typical Tolkien, but since reading UT it reminds me of Turin every time I hear it!
-------------------------------------------
Crazy Man Michael by Fairport Convention:
Within the fire and out upon the sea
Crazy Man Michael was walking
He met with a raven with eyes black as coals
And shortly they were a-talking

"Your future, your future, I would tell to you
Your future, you often have asked me
Your true love will die by your own right hand
And Crazy Man Michael will cursed be"

Michael he ranted and Michael he raved
And beat at the four winds with his fists-oh
He laughed and he cried, he shouted and he swore
For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss-oh

"You speak with an evil, you speak with a hate
You speak for the devil that haunts me
For is she not the fairest in all the broad land?
Your sorceror's words are to taunt me"

He took out his dagger of fire and of steel
And struck down the raven through the heart-oh
The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin
And the cold earth did wonder and start-oh

"Oh, where is the raven that I struck down dead
That here'd lie on the ground-oh?
I see that my true love with a wound so red"
Her lover's heart it did pound-oh

Crazy Man Michael, he wanders and walks
And talks to the night and the day-oh
But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is plain
And he longs to be far away

Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes
And asks the wild woods their pardon
For his true love is flown into every flower grown
And he must be keeper of the garden

[ June 04, 2003: Message edited by: Hilde Bracegirdle ]

06-04-2003, 10:36 AM	#11
Hilde Bracegirdle Relic of Wandering Days Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: You'll See Perpetual Change. Posts: 1,480	Whoa, Moody Blues and Steeleye Span! Good taste. (I had to break out my copy of "Hark! The Village Wait" after "Ummagumma" finished playing here at work) Birdland, I think Steeleye Span took those words from a nursery rhyme. I ran across them in one of my daughter's books when we were living in India, and who knows were the book got them from! I know this doesn't sound like typical Tolkien, but since reading UT it reminds me of Turin every time I hear it! ------------------------------------------- Crazy Man Michael by Fairport Convention: Within the fire and out upon the sea Crazy Man Michael was walking He met with a raven with eyes black as coals And shortly they were a-talking "Your future, your future, I would tell to you Your future, you often have asked me Your true love will die by your own right hand And Crazy Man Michael will cursed be" Michael he ranted and Michael he raved And beat at the four winds with his fists-oh He laughed and he cried, he shouted and he swore For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss-oh "You speak with an evil, you speak with a hate You speak for the devil that haunts me For is she not the fairest in all the broad land? Your sorceror's words are to taunt me" He took out his dagger of fire and of steel And struck down the raven through the heart-oh The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin And the cold earth did wonder and start-oh "Oh, where is the raven that I struck down dead That here'd lie on the ground-oh? I see that my true love with a wound so red" Her lover's heart it did pound-oh Crazy Man Michael, he wanders and walks And talks to the night and the day-oh But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is plain And he longs to be far away Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes And asks the wild woods their pardon For his true love is flown into every flower grown And he must be keeper of the garden [ June 04, 2003: Message edited by: Hilde Bracegirdle ]