I first heard this song from the great Irish folk band Planxty in the 1970s. Later I became aware of a slightly different version under the title 'Cold, Haily, Windy Night'. The lyrics I use here are closer to the ones used by Planxty, but I didn't really care for either of the traditional tunes I knew, so I wrote my own.
This sort of song is known in the tradition as a 'night visiting song' - often a song in which the man has his way with the woman and then leaves her to deal with the consequences. As usual, Mainly Norfolk has a good summary of the recording history of the various versions (mainlynorfolk.info/martin.carthy/songs/coldhailywindynight.html). As Malcolm Douglas points out at Mudcat Café (www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=66793), the song as we now know it is more of a compilation of verses from various traditional sources, rather than a traditional song in its own right.
My hat is frozen to my head,
my body is like a lump of lead,
my shoes have frozen to my feet
from standing at your window.
Let me come in the soldier cried,
cold blow and the rainy night,
let me come in the soldier cried,
I'll never come back again - oh.
My Dad he’s working down the street,
my Mum the bedroom keys she keeps,
the doors and windows they all creak,
I cannot let you in - oh.
Let me come in the soldier cried,
cold blow and the rainy night,
let me come in the soldier cried,
I'll never come back again - oh.
Then she got up and she let him in
She kissed her true love cheek and chin,
they went back to bed again
and the soldier he won her favour.
Then she blessed the rainy night,
cold blow and the rainy night ,
then she blessed the rainy night,
that ever she let him in - oh.
Well now you've had your way with me,
soldier won’t you marry me?
Oh no my love, that never can be,
so fare you well forever.
Then she wept for the rainy night,
cold blow and the rainy night,
then she wept for the rainy night,
that ever she let him in - oh.
Then he got up and out of bed
He put his hat upon his head,
she had lost her maidenhead
and her mother had heard the din - oh.
Then she cursed the rainy night,
cold blow and the rainy night,
then she cursed the rainy night,
that ever she let him in - oh.
Then she cursed the rainy night,
cold blow and the rainy night,
then she cursed the rainy night,
that ever she let him in - oh.
credits
from Folk Songs and Renovations,
released May 13, 2013
Words: Traditional
Music: Tim Chesterton
Vocals and Guitar: Tim Chesterton
Tim Chesterton is inspired by the rich heritage of traditional folk music of the British Isles and North America, and enjoys interpreting traditional songs as well as writing new songs in the traditional style.
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