The Wandering Ballad – Song no. 3: Earl Brand
This is the third in a series of blogs about the songs on our new CD “The Wandering Ballad”.
The story of Earl Brand has been sung in ballad form far and wide, for centuries.
A young girl is secretly in love with a young man. He comes and whisks her away and the two young lovers take off on horseback.
However, the girl’s father and seven brothers are fast on their heels. When they catch up with the runaways there is a terrible fight. The young man kills the girl’s father and brothers. He himself is mortally wounded and the story ends in tragedy.
I have found that versions of this story have been sung in ballad form in Scandinavia, the U.K., the U.S., France and Punjab in India. I am sure there are more versions that I am not aware of as well. It also ties in to several myths and legends along the way.
Of course it is quite a universal story line. The runaway lovers. But some of the details of the ballad have remained in the different versions. So somehow this ballad must have been transmitted over vast distances.
The song Earl Brand on our CD is of British origin also found in the U.S.
Did you hear of Brave Earl Brand?
-Lalli lilli lalee
He courted the king’s daughter of fair England
- In the night so early
She was only 15 years of age,
-Lalli lilli lalee
when so boldly she came to his bedside
- In the night so early
“Oh, Earl Brand, hear what I see,
-Lalli lilli lalee
the hounds let loose on the lee!”
- In the night so early
“Oh, lady, I have horses but one,
-Lalli lilli lalee
so you shall ride and I shall run!”
- In the night so early
They rode over moss and moor,
-Lalli lilli lalee
and they met neither rich or poor.
- In the night so early
Until they met old Carl Hood.
-Lalli lilli lalee
He comes for ill and never for good.
- In the night so early
“Where have you ridden this long day?
-Lalli lilli lalee
And where have you taken this maiden away?”
- In the night so early
“She is only my sick sister,
-Lalli lilli lalee
who I have brought from Winchester.”
- In the night so early
“If she is sick and close to dead,
-Lalli lilli lalee
why does she wear the ribbons so red?”
- In the night so early
“If she is sick and close to die,
-Lalli lilli lalee
why does she wear the gold so high?”
- In the night so early
Carl Hood rode to the castle gate.
-Lalli lilli lalee
And so rudely he rapped at it.
- In the night so early
“Where is the princess today?”
-Lalli lilli lalee
“Oh, she is out with her maids to play.”
- In the night so early
“Ha ha ha, you are mistaken!
-Lalli lilli lalee
Go and count your maidens once again!”
- In the night so early
The character of Carl Hood appears in some versions of British and Scandinavian ballads and is thought to be the old Oden who still roams the moss and more in his big floppy hat, creating trouble…
In most versions, including the Scandinavian and Punjabi versions, the girl’s father and seven brothers catch up with the couple when they stop to rest for a while.
