Rocket Cottage Trivia Quiz

Answer: Claret

The full chorus runs,
"There's your lords and ladies fine
Riding in a coach and six,
Nothing to drink but claret wine,
Talking politics."

This is a song from the broadsheets of the Victorian era. It proclaims London as being "A great and gallant city", but also that London "is a dainty place". I've heard London called many things, have spent much time there, but dainty is not a word I've ever heard used to describe it.

Answer: Bosnian

The full title of the tune is "The Bosnian Hornpipes", not a lot I can say about the lyrics as they are just nonsense words, "diddley di diddley torurem liddle dum" seems to form most of it. The tune is apparently traditional. It appears that the hornpipe as a dance developed in the 16th century. The kingdom of Bosnia ceased to exist in the mid-15th century and did not become a nation again until 15 years after this album was released. Consequently, why this tune acquired the name I cannot tell.

According to the site Mainly Norfolk, on the Steeleye Span album "Recollections" (only released in Australia), Peter Knight gives an introduction to this track that in part says, "The next song isn't a song at all. It's ... a song, but it hasn't got any words, because we all made the words up as we went along which was tremendously exciting. This song is a sort of, eh, mathematical bit of musical nonsense."

Answer: Harp

The opening of this song proclaims the prowess of the titular character.

"There was a King lived in the West. Green the woods so early,
Of all the harpers he was the best. Where the hart goes yearly."

Looking at the history of this song, it appears to be a version of the Greek myth about Orpheus and Eurydice. Scanning the sleeve notes for other versions of this song it appears to have to have come via Scandinavia and then spread into Gaelic regions. In some of these versions, instead of following the Greek myth, where Eurydice descends into Hell, the woman is carried off by the Elven King. As per the version here:

"The King of Faerie with his dart
Has pierced the lady to the heart."

Then her lover, King Orfeo or Sir Orfeo, follows her and charms the Elven court with his musical prowess. This time on a harp. Here the chorus comes in.

"And he took out his harp to play.
First he played the notes of pain,
And all their hearts were weary,
Then he played the Faerie reel,
And all their hearts were cheery."

The Elven King then lets the King of the West, Orfeo in other versions, have his lady back as a reward for his skill.

Answer: Lyre

Twelve witches are described as bold and living in the North. The North of where isn't mentioned but presumably the north of the British Isles. The skill of each witch in turn is listed. For the third witch the verse tells us not only the instrument but how she used her talent.

"And the third witch, she could strike
Upon the golden lyre,
And she charmed both young and old
Into the dancing fire."

The eighth witch also used a musical instrument of sorts but not for melodic purposes.

"She would blow a blast,
And everyone who heard
Would shudder and stand aghast."

Answer: Nightingale

The opening lines of the song include the detail.

"I'm as brisk as a night-time nightingale as wild as the forest doe."

This song is about a spurned lover, spurned because she has dark skin. But this isn't about race, that was far less of an issue when this song appears to have been first sung. It refers to women working in the agricultural industry, those who worked in the fields and got suntanned. Ladies on the other hand had much whiter skin.

So this song is more about class than race.

By the end of the song, the "brown girl" gets her revenge. Her lover wants her back, he is pining away. The brown girl's response is somewhat lacking in tenderness;

"I'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day.
You'll die for betraying a bonny brown girl all on one summer's day."

The same message is given in the chorus.

Answer: The King

The chorus asks the question;

"What makes you go abroad fighting for strangers?
When you could be safe at home free from all dangers."

But after the recruiting sergeant convinces Johnny to take the royal shilling, the middle of the second verse tells us that:

"Johnny went too with half a ring;
He was off to be a soldier, he'd be fighting for the King
In a far off war, in a far off land,
To face a foreign soldier."

Poor old Johnny doesn't do very well. When he returns, although he does have;
"a military pension and a medal from the crown."

He also has battle scars;
"You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg,
The enemy nearly slew you.
You'll have to go out on the streets to beg;
Oh poor Johnny what have they done to you"

Answer: Reel

Although Steeleye have played and recorded instrumental tracks in all these forms, "The Sligo Maid" is a well-known reel, performed by many musicians, usually as part of a medley.

Answer: Murder

Murder, "for he has killed a gallant squire". No real argument about this as even in the chorus, Sir James confesses he is on the run because of it.

"Where shall I go? Where shall I run? Where shall I go for to hide me?
For I have killed a gallant squire and they're seeking for to slay me."

Set somewhere, sometime in medieval Scotland, a case of the victim's friends seeking vengeance. All seems clear cut, except it isn't.

Looking at various folklore sites and listening to Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span, there is a slightly longer back story to this. Sir James the Rose (or possibly Ross) made the mistake of falling in love. The problem being that his sweetheart had been promised to another by her father. This would appear to be a political marriage between Scottish clans, the woman having no say in the matter.

Whilst meeting with his sweetheart, they are interrupted by the brother of the lady's intended. This results in a fight where the seasoned knight Sir James easily bests his challenger - then he realises that he is now a wanted man and this is where the song picks up the story.

Answer: Camptown Races

The claim is that the album's producer recorded the track without the band knowing at the time. On the CD version the song is combined with the final song from the album into a single track.

The lyrics start "The Camptown Racetrack 5 miles long", so just possibly there was a clue with the reference to the song being about 2 minutes long.

Answer: Landlady

This song, also known as "The Drunkard Reformed", is a common enough tale of some poor fellow blowing his money on drink and tobacco, blaming the pub landlady for his predicament.

In this song the drunkard is claiming that if it wasn't for him the landlady would be the one dressed as a vagabond. Still, that is not the way of the world.

"I will walk the streets up and I'll walk the streets down;
I will see the landlady dressed in a silk gown."

Nor am I convinced that the drunkard has reformed, the last verse indicates the opposite.

"And I'll go home to me wife and I'll love her no more.
The more I will beat her, the more she will cry,
And the more silly drunkard and blackguard am I."