Trad Tuesday: King & Country by Seth Lakeman

Seth Lakeman is an accomplished musician and composer who writes songs based on traditional folk themes. Here we have a song about a soldier leaving his sweetheart. I especially like this as Seth performs it at the Minack Theatre, a fabulous place in Cornwall built by hand by Rowena Cade.

Lyrics

Folding hills and a silver lane, 
A weeping maid, an evening in the rain, 
Roses ramble and the trees hang low, 
We sit and drink to all good friends we 
know.

`Tis I my love who'll leave in June, 
For twenty five days no more. 
Now mark that spot from whence I came 
It's for king and country I`ll come back 
again.

The first season passed without news. 
Two weeks gone and still no autumn 
tune. 
The leaves they weep for the loss of their 
spring, 
The dimming days they serve no better 
king.

`Tis I my love who fought for you. 
For twenty five weeks no more. 
Now mark that spot from whence I came 
It's for king and country I`ll come back 
again.

The wind blew in a few small drops of 
rain. 
She followed them `til her tears ran down 
again. 
I`ll do as much as any young man may. 
Please don`t sit and mourn I`ll come 
back rich and brave.

`Tis I my love who fell for you, 
After twenty five months no more. 
Now mark that spot from whence I came 
It's for king and country I`ll come back 
again. 
I'll come back to you on the longest day. 
I'll come back to you when I'm rich and 
brave. 
I'll come back to you.

Out of the doorway her hands upon her 
head, 
The weeping maid, her love was lost or 
dead. 
Her longest day had only just begun. 
She cursed the man who favoured for 
the gun.

`Tis I my love who fell for you. 
For twenty five years or more 
Now mark that spot from whence we 
came 
It's for king and country I`ll come back 
again. 
I'll come back to you on the longest day. 
I'll come back to you when I'm rich and 
brave. 
I'll come back to you on the longest day. 
I'll come back to you