FAWM: "The Baker's Boy"

The Baker's Boy

Liner Notes

There's an old folk song called 'The Butcher's Boy', so here's 'The Baker's Boy'. (I'll leave 'The Candlestick Maker's Boy' for someone else.)

I'd probably have gussied it up with accordion or something if I had more time, but humming will do for now.

#folk #ballad

Lyrics

the baker's boy said with a smile up his sleeve
come away, my girl, to old melbourne town
where we can be honest and looks won't deceive
my love, will you follow me down?

i stole us some shoes and a bottle of wine
and he span me round and we laid ourselves down
he gave me his hope and i offered him mine
and we set off for old melbourne town
for faraway old melbourne town

an hour on the road my love stepped on a snake
so he closed his eyes and laid himself down
they say the lord giveth, he sure as hell takes
i carried my love back to town

they buried my lad on the side of a hill
in the dust and dreams of bendigo town
and he'll be forgotten as i one day will
the truest friend i ever found
the only true thing that i found

there's no honest work for a girl with no name
so i close my eyes and lay myself down
some men can be gentle but most have no shame
i'm dreaming of old melbourne town

i'm counting the coins till the day i can leave
i'll away, i'll away, and burn bendigo down
for me and the boy with the smile up his sleeve
a new life in old melbourne town
i'm dreaming of old melbourne town

Comments

@mariekevink 3d

Oh this is heartbreakingly beautiful. I love how it is like an old folk song but set in Australia, a new country. Your vocals and guitar are spot on. Absolutely lovely.

@adforperu 4d

This is.....fabulous. No one appears to have made that joke yet, but also I really do mean it. Love the bastardisation of the 'give/take' proverb. In fact the whole lyric is really great storytelling. Such a gorgeous, calming piece of folk.

@willow1 5d

Gorgeous and heartbreaking tale. Your voice and wise minimalist instrumentation amazes my ears every time.

@melaniepegge 5d

This is a beautiful piece. Your voice is wonderful - so gentle and soothing. What a lovely sad story. I liked the understated humming interludes too.

@nadine 5d

I have no idea about folk music but you lulled me into this bed of soft guitars and it is so pleasant to listen to this story.

@catmisgivings 5d

a strikingly Australian folk tune. if you'd told me this precise song had been sung for 200 years and never grows old, i'd believe you.

@stephenwordsmith 5d

The gentle melancholy in the vocals and guitar are a balm. The language and narrative voice feel authentic - this is a subject which could very easily feel like a cheap facade if approached without care.

You describe death by snakebite in such a lyrical way - and a way that allows the future echo for the girl with no name. Two scenes which are unpleasant, viscerally so, but carry such a tender, poetic air.

I had to listen a second time after checking with Suzy Dent that 'span' was a valid past tense of 'spin' (it is, you're off the hook) so I could drink it in without distraction. This is not a you problem.

@tcelliott 5d

This is lovely. And sad. And perfectly wrought.

I took a class "The Ballads and the Blues" a couple of years ago and I swear this story should have been on the listening list.

@beacon 5d

Tour de Force, Monsieur Troubadour! As one who lives and breathes in this style, you have amazingly hit it right on the head. The pacing, the lyrics, the guitar accompaniment, the singing. Wow. What a story with such a twist. The line "some men can be gentle but most have no shame" completely got me. Tremendous.

@jinx 6d

Oh this is just magical! A simply gorgeous chord progression, beautiful sweet compelling vocals, and such fantastic storytelling. It's really timeless. I'll be coming back to listen again.

@miltz 6d

Marvelous. I'm a big fan of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem version of The Butcher Boy, and this is up there with that.

@greengrassgirl 1w

Your vocal is wonderful and sets the stage for an intriguing story. Thanks!

@andyr 1w

Truly enthralling writing, playing and singing. I love the 19th-century ballad throwback style of the repeated "old melbourne town" line mixed with slightly magical storytelling.

@jonmeta 1w

Quite stunning how this sounds like an old folk story-song. But with modern touches in the chord voicings. Especially liked some of the poetic phrases like 'smile up his sleeve' and 'buried... in the dust and dreams' and the 'do-do-do' descending phrase harmonising with the guitar line. Does leave me wondering how the poor lass who can't do honest work will fare in old Melbourne Town, though.

@thomekk 1w

A moving and sad story - could have been at some places. It caught me

@bigdaddybanjo 1w

The storytelling here is purely masterful! I couldn’t decide if I liked the guitar work, the vocalization or the lyrics the most? They all work together so well.

@coolparadisoMod 1w

this is so good Mike! the story is so sad and so real. I love how you just tell it as it is! I am sure it works worldwide but as an Aussie it feels so close to home.

@paulhenry 1w

Another lovely thing. A sad and beautiful new thing that sounds oh, so old. It makes me glad that it makes me sad.

Can you tell me what a bendigo is?

@thedutchwidows 1w

The melody of the 'come away, my girl' (and later equivalent lines) is just so lovely. Just beautiful. It's a simple presentation of the song, but in your hands (and mouth), it's so effective. An understated delight!

@bradbrubaker 1w

The "lay myself down" verse is probably the most heartbreaking. "A smile up his sleeve" is a great turn of phrase.

@laurenoxford 1w

just you and your voice and your nylon string guitar and your storytelling… that’s all i really need.

i tried not to snort at “stepped on a snake” but it’s just so very australian and delivered so matter-of-factly that i’ll admit i failed.

the way “laid … down” changes throughout the song? brilliant. the line “and he'll be forgotten as i one day will”? brilliant. what’s not to love here? a perfectly-done folk ballad that feels so ancient, executed in the way only you can. what a gift!!!

@philnorman 1w

This is a gorgeous love song, and stoic reminder of the brevity and uncaring nature of the world, yet the love we create endures. Simply wonderful storytelling.

I'd wager this one almost felt too easy for you, right in your wheelhouse. But oh, what a wheelhouse.

Not that you tend to miss, but the tone and balance of the recording is just right, intimate and delicate, your voice and guitar wrapped in each other's arms.

And the humming is perfect, like the narrator self-soothing while counting the coins til the day.

@timfatchenMod 1w

Very 19thC in the pathos of the lyric and the feel and melody of the backing, for all that quite early-mid 20thC in outlook. One doesn't need the backstory of Bendigo to empathise. Lovely stuff.

@lcad 1w

Beautiful storytelling. The Lord giveth line is so powerful and the delivery is gorgeous as always

@tan482 1w

Oh what a heartbreaking tale. Your guitar and vocals are gorgeous.

@mdavisto 1w

There it is. That's the fix I needed.

Premium Debenham, that is.

So what I like about it, apart from the way you always express, is the melody in "and he'll be forgotten ... that I found". And the hummy bit.

Thanks for that. It's actually lovely as is, legit, it has a feel of the era of Parsley Sage from Simon and Garfunkle - this sounds nothing like it, but it wouldn't be out of place on that playlist.

But I could stand hearing the bits that are in your head, post FAWM. In the meantime, ONWARDS.

@hanley 1w

Well ain’t this a quaint story! And nice to hear our very own old Melbourne town getting a guernsey. Definitely paints the picture of old gold rush days. And I love the callbacks to that ‘laid (themselves, etc) down’, very clever. Beaut chordal movements throughout, and the do do do’s are a nice touch.