Oak and Ash and Thorn

This song began as a poem by English poet Rudyard Kipling, published under the title "A Tree Song" in Puck of Pook's Hill (1906). The text was set to music and renamed to "Oak, Ash and Thorn" by storied English folksinger Peter Bellamy, released on his album of the same name in 1970. In the liner notes of the album, Bellamy wrote:

Kipling entitled this poem A Tree Song, and it is to be found in the story Weland's Sword. Both the tale and the song set the mood and pattern for all the stories and poems which follow. The tune is intended to recall those of some of the old wassail and ritual songs.

As with many songs contained in Puck of Pook's Hill, the theme of opposition to rule prevails.

The song occurs frequently in The Longest Johns' livestreams, with JD on the old stringy-planky. It was released as track 8 on Cures What Ails Ya.

On 15 March 2020, JD did a solo livestream wherein he taught some guitar basics and two ways of playing the song on guitar, one simplified version in standard tuning, and one version in the original DADGAD tuning. The stream is available to watch here, and the printed lyrics and chords are available here.

Lyrics[]

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams; the original lyrics can be found here.

Of all the trees that grow so fair, old England to adorn
Greater are none beneath the sun than oak and ash and thorn

{Chorus}
Sing oak and ash and thorn, good sirs
All on a midsummer's morn
Surely we'll sing of no little thing
In oak and ash and thorn

Yew that is old, in churchyard mould, he breedeth a mighty bow
Alder for shoes do wise men choose, and Beech for cups also
But when you have killed, and your bowl it is filled, and your shoes are clean outworn
Back you must speed for all that you need to oak and ash and thorn

{Chorus x2}

Elm, she hates mankind and waits 'til every gust be laid
To drop a limb on the head of him that anyway trusts her shade
But whether a lad be sober or sad, or mellow with ale from the horn
He'll take no wrong when he lyeth along 'neath oak and ash and thorn

{Chorus x2}

Oh, do not tell the priest our plight, for he would call it a sin
But we've been out in the woods all night, a-conjuring summer in
We bring you good news by word of mouth, good news for cattle and corn
Sure as the sun come up from the south, by oak and ash and thorn

{Chorus x4}

Oak and Ash and Thorn

Contents

Lyrics[]

Recordings[]

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