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about

Early Pearly was released as a charity single in December 2022, raising money for the homeless in Yorkshire.
We have re-recorded it for our new winter album 'Wesselbobs', but thought we'd leave this version up as well.

It is a traditional Yorkshire song that was still being sung by children in the 1940s in the streets of Ripon at Christmas time. The jaunty tune shrouds the sentimentality typical of Victorian tearjerkers, and the children would go from door to door in the hope of tugging on the heartstrings of the occupants to gain financial reward. This version is a concoction of ‘Haley Paley’ from Dave Hillery and Harry Boardman’s 1971 album ‘Transpennine’ and Hull singer Margaret Gardham’s ‘Early Pearly’ on the Yorkshire Garland website. It was sung in her family as a lullaby for at least four generations.

lyrics

1. Early Pearly snow on the ground,
The wind blows bitter and raw.
A poor young sailor lad dressed up in rags,
Came to a lady's door.

Chorus:
Early Pearly snow on the ground,
The wind blows bitter and cold.
Early Pearly snow on the ground,
The wind blows bitter and cold.

2. The lady sat up in a window so high,
She cast her eye upon him,
"Go 'way, go 'way, you tarry sailor,
So dirty, so ragged and thin."

3. "But, madam, I'm hungry and, madam, I'm cold,"
The sailor lad cried from the door,
"If you've got a penny to give me," he said,
"I never shall want any more."

4. The lady still sat in her window so high,
Still casting her eye upon him,
"Go 'way, go 'way, you tarry sailor,
So dirty, so ragged and thin."

5. "My father, my father was drowned in the sea,
My mother she cried and she cried,
Did you ever see a smile on her face,
Of a broken heart she died."

6. She threw a penny all down in the snow,
She threw down a penny or two.
"Oh, I am your William that's come from the sea,
Your William and you never knew."

7. "Come in, come in, you good hearted lad,
You never shall want any more,
As long as I live, I'll charity give,
To a poor young sailor boy."

credits

released December 2, 2022
Traditional/Arranged Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Sam Proctor at Lismore Mastering
November 2022
Illustration by Ali O'Neill

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Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones England, UK

Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones perform traditional folk songs from their native West Yorkshire. Featuring Fiddle, Harmonium, Tenor Guitar and intricate close harmony vocals in their distinctive regional accents, they combine a respect and understanding of tradition with a more contemporary style of folk performance.

"Straight up, beautiful & bold folk singing" Mark Radcliffe - BBC Radio 2
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