This is another of my midnight rambles into traditional ballad recording. I'm trying to stop them sounding alike, as in normal circumstances you wouldn't sing more than one of these songs in an evening, and I would usually just have the same guitar. But as they are all going to end up on one CD, I'm swapping over guitars a bit - this is recorded using an early 1950s Japanese Antoria, a steel string with a pinless bridge and fan bracing, a laminated body and cedar top. The sound is 70 per cent from a Pickup The World #30 sensor attached behind the bridge, on the guitar top, and 30 per cent from an AKG C1000S mike aimed at the soundhole.

Lyrics

Young Waters

Around Yule when the winds blow cool
And the round tables began
There is come to oor king's court
Mony a weel-faured (well favoured) man
The queen's looked out owr the castle wall
Beheld both dale and down
And she has seen Young Waters
Come ridin' through the town

His footmen they did run before
His horseman rode behind
The cloak wis o' the burning gowd
Did keep him from the wind
Gowden graithed (armoured flank pieces) was his horse before
And siller (silver) shod behind
The steed Young Waters rade upon
Was swifter than the wind

And up there spoke a wily knicht
And to the queen said he
Wha dae he think's the fairest face
In all this companie?
Well, I've seen knicht, and I've seen earl
An' laird o' high degree
But the fairest face that e'er I saw
Young Waters he must be

And it's up there spake an angry king
And jealous king was he!
Saying, had he been but twice as fair
Yet micht hae excepted me!
Well, ye're no knight or earl, she said
But the head which wears the croon
There's no a laird in a' Scotland
But to thee must bow down

For all that she could do or say
He waldnae be appeased
And for the words which the queen had said
Young Waters he must dee
And they hae taen Young Waters
Put fetters on his feet
And they hae taen Young Waters
Thrawn him in a dungeon deep!

Well it's oft ah hae ridden through Stirlin' town
In the the wind yet and the weet
But ah nivver hae ridden through Stirlin' town
Wi' fetters on ma feet!
It's oft I hae ridden through Stirlin' town
In the wet yet and the rain
But ah nivver hae ridden through Stirlin' town
Never to come home again!

And they hae taen tae the heidin' hill (beheading hill)
His horse yet and its bridle
And they hae taen tae the heidin' hill
His young son in the cradle
And they hae taen tae the heidin' hill
His young wife fair tae see
And for the words that the queen had spoke
Young Waters he did dee.