One Morning in May (folk song) facts for kids
"One Morning in May" is an old English folk song. It is also known by other names like "The Nightingale" or "The Bold Grenadier". People have been singing this song for a very long time. It has been collected from traditional singers in England and the USA. Many modern singers have also recorded it. The song tells a story about a meeting between a soldier and a lady.
The Story of the Song
The song usually starts with the narrator seeing a beautiful young woman. She is walking with a soldier, often called a grenadier. They walk together until they reach a stream. They sit down by the stream to listen to the nightingale sing.
The soldier puts his arm around the young woman. He then takes a fiddle out of his bag. A fiddle is like a violin. He plays a lovely tune for her. The music makes the valleys and groves ring with sound. The young woman listens and says:
Oh 'tis "Hark, hark" says the fair maid "How the nightingales sing".
(Collected by H.E.D.Hammond from William Bartlett in Wimborne Union (workhouse), Dorset, 1905)
After a while, the soldier says it's time to stop. But the young woman asks him to play another tune. She says she enjoys his music very much. In many versions of the song, she asks him to marry her. However, the soldier often replies that he already has a wife at home. He tells her that if he comes back, it will be in the spring. He says he will return to hear the nightingale sing again.
Some versions of the song include a chorus. This chorus is often sung in English folk clubs. Bands like The Spinners and The Dubliners have also sung it. The chorus describes the soldier and the lady walking together:
They went arm in arm along the road like sister and brother,
They went arm in arm along the road till they came to a stream,
And they both sat down together, love, to hear the nightingale sing.
This part shows them walking closely, like family. They find a quiet spot by the stream. There, they enjoy the sound of the nightingale.
In one version from Arkansas, USA, the song is called "The Irish Soldier And The English Lady." In this version, the soldier plays specific tunes. He plays "The Old Concord" and "A Shamrock of Erin." The song also tells us where the soldier is going next:
"Goodbye," said the soldier with a parting caress.
"Tomorrow I'm going to the throne of Queen Bess,"
This means he is going to see Queen Elizabeth I.
Recordings of the Song
Many people have recorded "One Morning in May" over the years.
Older Recordings
Some of the earliest recordings were made in the field. This means they were recorded directly from traditional singers. For example, Charlie Carver, a singer from Suffolk, England, was recorded around 1960. Frank Hinchliffe from Sheffield also recorded the song in 1977.
Luke Stanley sang "The Bold Grenadier" in 1954. This recording was made in Lincolnshire, England. Alan Lomax, a famous music collector, recorded Neil Morris in Arkansas in 1959. Neil Morris's son, Jimmy Driftwood, also recorded the song. Another singer, Almeda Riddle, also recorded her version.
Modern Recordings
Many folk artists have recorded the song.
- The Coon Creek Girls recorded "The Soldier and the Lady."
- Jean Ritchie recorded "One Morning in May."
- Tina Greer included it on her album "The Watson Family Tradition."
- Kyle Carey recorded a version in 2013 with British folk duo Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker.
- A version sung by Isla Cameron was used in the 1967 film Far From the Madding Crowd.
- The progressive rock band IQ recorded "The Bold Grenadier" in 1989.
The Tune
The melody for "As I Was Walking One Morning in May" is an old Irish air. An air is a type of song or tune. It appeared in a music collection by George Petrie in 1905. The tune was attributed to someone named P. Coneely. It's not always clear how this specific tune relates to all the different versions of the "One Morning in May" song.
