Two bonus pictures also.  One are some violets I saw in my son’s yard yesterday.  The other is an air machine I saw at the gas station — that takes credit cards.  What is this world coming to!

I bought this on vinyl from Nonesuch Records back when it first came out and have never regretted it.  This selection from it is probably the most rock and roll like of the bunch.  The rest is more folky.

The Queen of Hearts is a collaborative studio album by English musician Olivia Chaney and American band The Decemberists, under their project name Offa Rex. It was released in July 2017 under Nonesuch Records. The album was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.  (Please note that the lyrics follow the Steeleye Span video that follows the Offa Rex video, as written by Steeleye Span.)

Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here’s my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You’ve proved all unkind.

Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here’s my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You’ve proved all unkind.

All to my dear Dinah these words I did say,
Tomorrow we’ll be married love, tomorrow is the day,
‘Tis too soon dear Willy my age is too young,
One day to our wedding is one day too soon.

I’ll go into service if the day ain’t too late,
To wait on a fine lady it is my intent,
And when into service a year or two bound,
It’s then we’ll get married and both settle down.

A little time after a letter was wrote,
For to see if my dear Dinah had changed her mind,
But she wrote that she’d lived such a contrary life,
She said that she’d never be a young shepherd’s wife

Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here’s my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here’s my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You’ve proved all unkind.

Songwriters: Peter Knight / Robert Johnson / Maddy Prior / Rick Kemp / Tim Hart

After wondering who it was who wrote the song, I went out and found this version of the song from 1972. The members of Steeleye Span wrote it.  Below the Salt is the fourth studio album by Steeleye Span and their first after they joined the Chrysalis label. The album takes medieval influence and combines it with the band’s British folk rock style. The lineup on the album includes Bob Johnson and Rick Kemp making their debuts in the band.  By this point, Ashley Hutchings had left the band, leaving Tim Hart and Maddy Prior as the only remaining founding members.

And then this short 5-minute interview with two band members of Offa Rex about this special music.