Down in the Willow Garden
Encyclopedia
"Down in the Willow Garden", also known as "Rose Connelly" is a traditional Appalachian
murder ballad
about a man facing the gallows for the murder of his lover: he gave her poisoned wine, stabbed her, and threw her in a river. It originated in the 19th century, probably in Ireland, before becoming established in the United States. The lyrics greatly vary between versions, but professional recordings have stabilized the song in a cut-down form. First professionally recorded in 1927, it was made popular by Charlie Monroe
's 1947 version, and it has been recorded dozens of times since then.
noted a song by the name "Rose Connolly" in 1811 in Coleraine
. A version with slightly different lyrics is known from Galway in 1929. There are lyrical similarities to W. B. Yeats' 1899 poem "Down by the Salley Gardens
", which itself probably derives from the Irish ballad, "The Rambling Boys of Pleasure". The first versions of "Rose Connoley" probably derive from the Irish ballads "The Wexford Girl" and "The Rambling Boys of Pleasure", or similar songs. "The Wexford Girl" gave rise to "The Knoxville Girl
", a very similar murder ballad to "Down in the Willow Garden". Unlike other Irish ballads, "Down in the Willow Garden" was initially restricted to the Appalachian region of the United States, and D.K. Wigley mused that "It is as if an Irish local song never popularized on broadsides
was spread by a single Irish peddler on his travels through Appalachia."
It is first noted in the United States in 1915, when it was referred to as popular in 1895 in Wetzel County, West Virginia
. Cecil Sharp
came across the song in 1918 in Virginia and North Carolina.
" and the "Knoxville Girl" is "especially gruesome" in this song. Murder ballads often feature a stabbing or beating followed by burying the body or disposing of it in a river; this song is unusual in featuring both poisoning and stabbing the victim before she is thrown into the river.
The song is known in many versions: Wilgus noted 71 in 1979. The earliest versions are divided into 10 stanza
s, though not all versions include all the stanzas: the now-standardized professional recordings are pared down versions that lack that first "come-all-ye" stanza and the naming of the murderer, leaving stanzas 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10. The most common lyric is the second stanza:
Most traditional versions name the victim as Rose Connelly, or a similar surname. Many versions have the murderer name himself; the name varies but tends towards the pattern "Patrick McR...". One early version referred to an "Hozier tree"; Osier is a type of willow tree. The lyrics refer to a poisoned wine, usually as "burglar's wine" or "Burgundy wine", sometimes as "Berkeley", "burdelin", "buglers", and earlier as "merkley wine"; this may refer to drugged wine, or possibly to "burgaloo wine", burgaloo being a type of pear (from the French, virgalieu). "Burgundy" is almost certainly a "correction" of the text. The weapon used to stab Rose is almost always a "sabre" or a "dagger".
It is usually sung to a tune known as "Rosin the Beau", in 3/4 time
.
and Henry Whitter
on either 18 November 1927 or 9 October 1928, for Victor Recording Company (Victor 21625). Wade Mainer
and Zeke Morris recorded another version on 2 August 1937 in Charlotte, North Carolina
(Bluebird B-7298), giving it the name "Down in the Willow Garden". Charlie Monroe
and His Kentucky Pardners recorded another version for RCA Victor on 24 March 1947 (RCA Victor 20-2416, A-side "Bringin' in the Georgia Mail" and RCA Victor 48-0222); this version established the song as a "standard".
and Red Allen
recorded it as "Down in the Willow Garden" in 1956. The Everly Brothers recorded a version under the same title for their 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
, as did Art Garfunkel
for his 1973 album Angel Clare
.
Ramblin' Jack Elliot released it as "In the Willow Garden" on his 1959 album Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London
, Oscar Brand
sang "The Willow Garden" on his 1962 live album Morality and the bluegrass duo Lester Flatt
and Earl Scruggs
recorded it as "Rose Connelly" for their 1965 album The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs.
Boyd Rice
recorded it as "Down in the Willow Garden" in 1990 for his album Music Martinis and Misanthropy
. Kristin Hersh
recorded it for her 1998 album of traditional songs, Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight
, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
recorded a version titled "The Willow Garden" as a B-side to their murder ballad "Where the Wild Roses Grow
".
Holly Hunter
sings the song as a lullaby in the 1987 film Raising Arizona
, and Willow Garden, a dramatised version of the tale, was made as a short film by Jim Haverkamp and Don Henderson Baker in 2008.
Appalachian music
Appalachian music is the traditional music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. It is derived from various European and African influences, including English ballads, Irish and Scottish traditional music , religious hymns, and African-American blues...
murder ballad
Murder ballad
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...
about a man facing the gallows for the murder of his lover: he gave her poisoned wine, stabbed her, and threw her in a river. It originated in the 19th century, probably in Ireland, before becoming established in the United States. The lyrics greatly vary between versions, but professional recordings have stabilized the song in a cut-down form. First professionally recorded in 1927, it was made popular by Charlie Monroe
Charlie Monroe
Charlie Monroe was an American country and bluegrass music guitarist.-Biography:Monroe was born on his family's farm in Rosine, Kentucky; he was the older brother of the mandolin player Bill Monroe. His sister Bertha also played guitar, and brother Birch, fiddle...
's 1947 version, and it has been recorded dozens of times since then.
Origins
The song may have derived from Irish sources from the early 19th century. Edward BuntingEdward Bunting
Edward Bunting was an Irish musician and folk music collector.-Life:Bunting was born in County Armagh, Ireland. At the age of seven he was sent to study music at Drogheda and at eleven he was apprenticed to William Ware, organist at St. Anne's church in Belfast and lived with the family of Henry...
noted a song by the name "Rose Connolly" in 1811 in Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
. A version with slightly different lyrics is known from Galway in 1929. There are lyrical similarities to W. B. Yeats' 1899 poem "Down by the Salley Gardens
Down By The Salley Gardens
Down by the Salley Gardens is a poem by William Butler Yeats published in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems in 1889...
", which itself probably derives from the Irish ballad, "The Rambling Boys of Pleasure". The first versions of "Rose Connoley" probably derive from the Irish ballads "The Wexford Girl" and "The Rambling Boys of Pleasure", or similar songs. "The Wexford Girl" gave rise to "The Knoxville Girl
The Knoxville Girl
"The Knoxville Girl" is an Appalachian murder ballad. It is derived from the 19th century Irish ballad The Wexford Girl, itself derived from the earlier English ballad "The Oxford Girl". Other versions are known as the "Waxweed Girl", "The Wexford Murder"...
", a very similar murder ballad to "Down in the Willow Garden". Unlike other Irish ballads, "Down in the Willow Garden" was initially restricted to the Appalachian region of the United States, and D.K. Wigley mused that "It is as if an Irish local song never popularized on broadsides
Broadside (music)
A broadside is a single sheet of cheap paper printed on one side, often with a ballad, rhyme, news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations...
was spread by a single Irish peddler on his travels through Appalachia."
It is first noted in the United States in 1915, when it was referred to as popular in 1895 in Wetzel County, West Virginia
Wetzel County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,693 people, 7,164 households, and 5,079 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile . There were 8,313 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
. Cecil Sharp
Cecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
came across the song in 1918 in Virginia and North Carolina.
Lyrics and music
The lyrics are sung in the first person by the murderer. According to Wigley, the song follows "the 'murdered sweetheart' pattern in which a girl stated or assumed to be pregnant is murdered by her lover, who is usually brought to justice in one manner or another". He describes the tale that "Rose Connoley and her lover meet in a willow garden. He poisons her, stabs her, and throws her body into a river. The murderer's father had promised him to buy his freedom, but now the father must watch his son's execution. The son laments his death." His motivations might have been to avoid marriage, gain money, or feeling compelled into the crime by his father, but now that he is facing the scaffold he is overcome by the realization that he has killed the girl and caused pain to his family. Teresa Goddu noted that the "ritual misogyny" familiar from the "Banks of the OhioBanks of the Ohio
"Banks of the Ohio" is a 19th century murder ballad, written by unknown authors, in which "Willie" invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal. Once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman....
" and the "Knoxville Girl" is "especially gruesome" in this song. Murder ballads often feature a stabbing or beating followed by burying the body or disposing of it in a river; this song is unusual in featuring both poisoning and stabbing the victim before she is thrown into the river.
The song is known in many versions: Wilgus noted 71 in 1979. The earliest versions are divided into 10 stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
s, though not all versions include all the stanzas: the now-standardized professional recordings are pared down versions that lack that first "come-all-ye" stanza and the naming of the murderer, leaving stanzas 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10. The most common lyric is the second stanza:
Most traditional versions name the victim as Rose Connelly, or a similar surname. Many versions have the murderer name himself; the name varies but tends towards the pattern "Patrick McR...". One early version referred to an "Hozier tree"; Osier is a type of willow tree. The lyrics refer to a poisoned wine, usually as "burglar's wine" or "Burgundy wine", sometimes as "Berkeley", "burdelin", "buglers", and earlier as "merkley wine"; this may refer to drugged wine, or possibly to "burgaloo wine", burgaloo being a type of pear (from the French, virgalieu). "Burgundy" is almost certainly a "correction" of the text. The weapon used to stab Rose is almost always a "sabre" or a "dagger".
It is usually sung to a tune known as "Rosin the Beau", in 3/4 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
.
Early recordings
The song was recorded as "Rose Conley" by G. B. GraysonG. B. Grayson
Gilliam Banmon Grayson was an American Old-time fiddle player and singer. Mostly blind from infancy, Grayson is chiefly remembered for a series of sides recorded with guitarist Henry Whitter between 1927 and 1930 that would later influence numerous country, bluegrass, and rock musicians...
and Henry Whitter
Henry Whitter
Henry Whitter was an early country musician.-Biography:...
on either 18 November 1927 or 9 October 1928, for Victor Recording Company (Victor 21625). Wade Mainer
Wade Mainer
Wade Mainer was an American singer and banjoist. With his band, the Sons of the Mountaineers, he is credited with bridging the gap between old-time mountain music and Bluegrass and is sometimes called the "Grandfather of Bluegrass." In addition, he innovated a two-finger banjo fingerpicking style,...
and Zeke Morris recorded another version on 2 August 1937 in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
(Bluebird B-7298), giving it the name "Down in the Willow Garden". Charlie Monroe
Charlie Monroe
Charlie Monroe was an American country and bluegrass music guitarist.-Biography:Monroe was born on his family's farm in Rosine, Kentucky; he was the older brother of the mandolin player Bill Monroe. His sister Bertha also played guitar, and brother Birch, fiddle...
and His Kentucky Pardners recorded another version for RCA Victor on 24 March 1947 (RCA Victor 20-2416, A-side "Bringin' in the Georgia Mail" and RCA Victor 48-0222); this version established the song as a "standard".
Later versions
The Osborne BrothersOsborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
and Red Allen
Red Allen
Henry James "Red" Allen was a jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose style has been claimed to be the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstrong.-Life and career:...
recorded it as "Down in the Willow Garden" in 1956. The Everly Brothers recorded a version under the same title for their 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
Songs Our Daddy Taught Us is the second album by close harmony rock and roll duo The Everly Brothers, released in 1958. Originally released on Cadence Records, the album has been re-released on LP and CD many times, primarily by Rhino and EMI...
, as did Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
for his 1973 album Angel Clare
Angel Clare
Angel Clare is the debut album by Art Garfunkel released in 1973. It is his highest charting solo album, peaking at number 5 and contains his only Top 10 hit in the US, "All I Know" which peaked at number 9. It also contained two other Top 40 hits, "Traveling Boy" and "I Shall Sing"...
.
Ramblin' Jack Elliot released it as "In the Willow Garden" on his 1959 album Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London
Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London
Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 1959 in Great Britain and in 1962 in the US...
, Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand is a folk singer, songwriter, and author. In his career, spanning over 60 years, he has composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Canadian and American patriotic songs...
sang "The Willow Garden" on his 1962 live album Morality and the bluegrass duo Lester Flatt
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
and Earl Scruggs
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
recorded it as "Rose Connelly" for their 1965 album The Versatile Flatt & Scruggs.
Boyd Rice
Boyd Rice
Boyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
recorded it as "Down in the Willow Garden" in 1990 for his album Music Martinis and Misanthropy
Music Martinis and Misanthropy
Music, Martinis and Misanthropy is a mellow, neofolk and spoken word album that combines acoustic and electronic instrumentation with brutal, Social Darwinist lyrics and poetry. It was created by pioneer noise artist Boyd Rice and an assortment of dark folk all stars...
. Kristin Hersh
Kristin Hersh
Kristin Hersh is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also continues to perform as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave...
recorded it for her 1998 album of traditional songs, Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight
Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight
Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight is Kristin Hersh's third solo album and quite a departure from her other solo recordings, in that it contains solely Appalachian folk songs about murder and death arranged by Kristin Hersh, rather than songs written by Kristin herself...
, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
recorded a version titled "The Willow Garden" as a B-side to their murder ballad "Where the Wild Roses Grow
Where the Wild Roses Grow
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
".
Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter
Holly Hunter is an American actress. Hunter starred in The Piano for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also been nominated for Oscars for her roles in Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen...
sings the song as a lullaby in the 1987 film Raising Arizona
Raising Arizona
Raising Arizona is a 1987 comedy film directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Not a blockbuster at the time of its release, it has since achieved cult status...
, and Willow Garden, a dramatised version of the tale, was made as a short film by Jim Haverkamp and Don Henderson Baker in 2008.
External links
- Lyrics on DigiTrad
- http://library.efdss.org/cgi-bin/query.cgi?index_roud=on&cross=off&type=Song&access=off&op_9=or&field_9=&op_12=or&field_12=&op_13=or&field_13=&op_14=or&field_14=&op_15=or&field_15=&op_47=or&field_47=&op_16=or&field_16=&op_0=or&field_0=&op_17=or&field_17=&op_10=or&field_10=&op_11=or&field_11=&op_18=or&field_18=&op_19=or&field_19=&op_20=or&field_20=&op_21=or&field_21=&op_22=or&field_22=&op_23=or&field_23=&op_24=or&field_24=&op_5=or&field_5=&op_25=or&field_25=&op_26=or&field_26=&fieldshow=single&op=precise&query=willow+garden&field=all&output=Record&length=5&submit=Submit+queryEntries] in the Roud Folk Song IndexRoud Folk Song IndexThe Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
- List of recordings on deaddisc.com (the Grateful Dead Family discography)