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The Two Sisters (Child 10)

from Blood & Roses Volume 5 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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Variants of this immensely popular ballad have been found from the Faroes across Scandinavia, from Britain to California, from Spain to Greece, across Eastern Europe and Russia. In many of the versions, the older sister is unattractive and the younger is beautiful. This, combined with the social requirement that the elder sister marries first would put any visiting suitor into a dilemma. Whatever the intricacies of the story, it is certainly not one of simple jealousy. Our version, learned via Mike Seeger from a variety of American revival and field singers, maintains the "singing bones" motif, quite rare in the United States. Of the ninety-seven versions listed in Bronson, only one (from West Virginia) gives the "wind and rain" burden.

lyrics

'Twas early one morning in the month of May
O the wind and rain;
Two sisters went a-fishing on a hot summer's day,
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

Two sweet Sisters side by side
O the wind and rain;
Both of them wanna be Johnny's bride
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

Johnny give the young one a gold ring
O the wind and rain;
Didn't give the other one anything
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

Two sweet sisters walking by the stream
O the wind and rain;
One come behind, pushed the other one in.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

Pushed her in the river to drown,
O the wind and rain;
And watched her as she floated down.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

She floated on down to the miller's pond,
O the wind and rain;
Father, father, there swims a swan.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

The miller ran for his drifting hook,
O the wind and rain;
And brought that poor girl from the brook.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

He laid her on the bank so dry,
O the wind and rain;
A fiddler man came walking by.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

He saw that poor girl lying there;
O the wind and rain;
He took thirty strands of her long yellow hair.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

He made a fiddle bow of her long yellow hair,
O the wind and rain;
He made fiddle pegs of her little finger bones.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

He made a fiddle of her little breast-bone,
O the wind and rain;
With a sound that could melt a heart of stone.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

And the only tune that fiddle would play,
O the wind and rain;
The only tune that fiddle would play, was
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

Was yonder's my sister sittin' on a rock,
O the wind and rain;
Tyin' my Johnny a true-love's knot.
Cryin' the dreadful wind and rain.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 5, released September 14, 1986
Peggy Seeger - vocals

Produced by Calum MacColl
Engineered by Nigel Cazaly

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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