New take on "Babes in the Wood"

[buzzardwhiskey]

A while back I’d asked Amy (Buzzard Whiskey’s female singer) to come up with a song that she could own. And after a lot of prodding she recalled a lullaby her mom used to sing called “Babes in the Wood”. The original is a children’s cautionary tale about getting lost in the woods and the earliest written record is of a ballad published in 1595. It’s been reworked dozens of times, including versions by the Brother Grimm and even Disney.

I’ve always loved the murder/madness genre of folk songs, and it’s about time that I added my take.

Babes in the woods

Kind [C] friend, did you know, that a [F] long time [C] ago
There were [G7] two little babes, whose [C] names I don’t know
They were [C] stolen away, one [F] bright summers [C] day
And were [G7] nevermore seen, so I’ve [C] heard people say

Now the [C] day being gone, and the [F] night coming [C] on
Those [G7] two little babes, sat [C] under a stone
They [C] sobbed and they signed, and they [F] bitterly [C] cried
These [G7] two little babes, they [C] lay down and died

Chorus
Oh [Em] Lord have you seen, my sweet [Am] babes in the wood
Their [F] father’s mad with [C] grief, there is [G] word and it’s been weeks
We’re [Am] scoured the ancient [C] forests
And walked the [G] length of the river [Am] Thames
Oh [F] Lord help me [C] find, my sweet [G] babes in the [C] wood

The town’s [C] grief settled in, like a [F] tall swig of [C] gin
They all [G7] pulled their young close, but a [C] fear can wear thin
And [C] soon it was said, that the [F] babes hour had [C] fled
Till [G7] replaced as it was, by some [C] gruesome blood shed

A [C] maid young and fare, with a [F] bright shock of [C] hair
Had [G7] whispered of love, and [C] of dark despair
That the [C] man of her dreams, was so [F] cruelly be[C]spoke
To a [G7] witch she was sure, with no [C] babes round her cloak

Chorus

Thus two [C] nights from that tale, by a [F] moon fat and [C] pale
Our good [G7] wife did stand o’er, the [C] tart of this tale
She [C] drove home her blade, till all [F] breath had been [C] staid
And she [G7] carried her work, out be[C]yond the green glade

To a [C] hole in the dirt, beside [F] twice that nights [C] work
She [G7] pitched the tart in, and she [C] sang with a grin
My sweet [C] babes won’t be found, in the [F] East or West [C] ‘round
Cause [G7] silent they lie, in this [C] cold patch of ground

Chorus

[Glennwillow]

Wow... dark story! I imagine that this story doesn't make for a very comforting bedtime lullaby for little ones! Bet, I bet it makes for a very eerie song!

Have you recorded this! I'd look forward to hearing it!

- Glenn

[buzzardwhiskey]

Thanks! We plan on recording it with our second CD in January.

I look forward to the recording but those lyrics creep me right out!