Folk Concretism
The Fruits of the Moor

Written for the 'Songs from the Black Meadow' compilation album (2014). I created a fictional 'traditional' folk song, and a fictional 1970s folk duo to record it, on their fictional album 'The Lay of the Land'. Good fun.

Written and produced by Chris Sharp.
Instruments, vocals and lyrics by Chris Sharp.
(c) 2014 Chris Sharp
(p) 2014 Chris Sharp
Strictly no unauthorised use. All rights reserved.

V1.
There was a young man who went looking for work
Bade goodbye to his wife at the door
‘I’ll bring you’ said he ‘fine things from the town’
And with that he set off for the moor.

He’d been walking a while when he sat down to rest
‘Neath the boughs of an ugly old tree
But he jumped with a start as the branches raised up
And the tree he said ‘listen to me’ He sang:

C1.
Damsons, blackberries, juniper,
Elderflow’r, gooseberries, sloe.
These are the fruits of moor my friend,
These are the fruits of the moor (these are the fruits of the moor)

V2.
The man said ‘please help, I am heading for town,
Perhaps you could point me the way?
I’m looking for work so I can buy some fine things,
Fine things for my wife today’.

‘What riches need you with such bounty around?’
Said the tree with a tone of surprise.
And with that he enchanted the man with his song
And they merried from sunset to sunrise, chanting:

C2.
Damsons, blackberries, juniper,
Elderflow’r, gooseberries, sloe.
All we need are the fruits of the moor,
Only the fruits of the moor (only the fruits of the moor)

V3.
Well he lived off the fruits of the moor for a year,
And a year and a year after that.
The village they thought that his absence was queer
While his wife she grieved and sat.

Three years to the day, he arrived at her door,
And now here is the funniest thing:
He opened his hands as she fell to the floor,
And gaily he started to sing. He sang:

C3.

Damsons, blackberries, juniper,
Elderflow’r, gooseberries, sloe,
I’ve brought you the fruits of the moor my love,
Brought you the fruits of the moor (brought you the fruits of the moor)

Outro.

Damsons, blackberries, juniper,
Elderflow’r, gooseberries, sloe.
These are the fruits of moor my friend,
These are the fruits of the moor (these are the fruits of the moor)