Thank you to @tcelliott who started the challenge to write a song that sounds like a traditional ballad.
I love this question-and-answer-type of ballads like "Lord Randall" or "What put the blood", so I tried to make one of those. I didn't exactly want to write about covid, but I couldn't really avoid it.
My accent left school a while ago and ran off after actors and singers, picking up stuff along the way, until it drowned somewhere in the Irish Sea. I'm not doing this on purpose!
Oh, and I recorded this a few days ago, but I didn't want my first song to have this topic.
Where have you been all day
leaving your old mother to worry
daughter, dearest daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
i went to the big, busy town, dear mother
i was merry all day, and safe
do not worry so much
with whom have you been in town
being all merry and careless
daughter, dearest daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
there was Rosie and Peter and Henry and Kate
and Susan and many others
but i don‘t know their names
what did they tell you
and did you believe them
daughter, dearest daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
they told me we‘re afraid of all the wrong things
but they see through the ruse for they‘re smart
and they know who‘s to blame
what do you plan to do
with these new findings
daughter, foolish daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
it is important that we all stick together, dear mother
one day we will rise, but for now
i need to lie down
what have you brought home for me
from your day in town
daughter, foolish daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
a kiss from Susan and a hug from Kate
and a bunch of stories from Henry
you won‘t believe but they‘re true
why do you sweat and cough
there is something else you‘ve brought home
daughter, foolish daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
it is nothing but a cold, dear mother
just a cold that throws me to the ground
and lets me barely breathe
who is to dig our graves
i feel it too in my throat
daughter, foolish daughter, there‘s fear in my heart
not Henry nor Rosie nor Peter nor Kate
nor Susan nor one of the others
for they all got it, too
@elainedimasi Feb 2022
What a fantastic take on the "Mother, ... " / "Daughter, ... " traditional ballad. And wow the vocal performance, the lyrics, the travel of this song. Karan said "enchanting" and that is absolutely right.
@karan Feb 2022
WOW! What an amazing song! You absolutely nailed it with the lyrics, and the enchanting performance makes it all the more chilling and moving.
@pippa Feb 2022
Wow. Serious lyrics stuff here. I like the low voice and high voice, and a very traditional sounding melody and layout.
@johnpeekstok Feb 2022
Nicely traditional-sounding melody, and repetition in the lyrics is spot-on. "Lord Randall / Billy Boy" for COVID times . . .
@coolparadiso Feb 2022
A ballad for sure and in the classic style! Very pretty delivery then oh dear what an ending!
@dukemeyer Feb 2022
Huh, dichter Vortrag und Gänsehaut-Text - der sich indirekt aufbaut ... und plötzlich zubeißt am Schluss!
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
Wow, I was wondering where this was going until the end and then BAM. Sign of good story telling. Lovely delivery here with the different voices for the mother and daughter. Very nice.
@mightyq Feb 2022
I love this! Sounds like a traditional ballad. Your accent is great and your voice is sweet.
@wurzelfrau Feb 2022
uff, die ist echt gut... und tief...
@billwhite51 Feb 2022
excellent use of traditional form and archaiic phrasing to give timelessness to a modern tale. lyrics and your performance of them are extremely moving and heart-breaking.
@billwhite51 Feb 2022
marvelous use of a traditional form , as well as coinng phrases that sound ancient, to make a contemporary story sound tmeless...and so such a tale is timeless. supurfwri
@williamjames Feb 2022
Beautiful lyrics and that accent is so perfect for storytelling. You nail the folk type guitar also, very cool song!