Steeleye Span are All Around My Hat Quiz

Answer: The grey

Both Ends Burning is the name of a horse, and the title of the song about it by Richard Thompson. Galway Bay is also the title and subject of a song about horses, this time by Show of Hands. The remaining two with the mundane descriptions are those listed in the song lyrics.

The second verse of this particular recording starts:
"Go saddle to me the bonny brown steed
For the grey was never so speedy."
Here we have it stated that the grey is a bit slow.

This song is from the vast collection described as traditional. Many versions have been collected under a number of names. Variations of the name include Gypsy Davey, Gypsum Davy and Gypsy Rover. The common plot to all of these is the squire or lord coming home and finding that his wife has run off with a gypsy. He chases after them to find her and asks his lady why she has left all the comforts behind. She then turns and says she is happier on the cold ground with her lover than with the comforts she had previously.

Answer: Shake and a nod

The relevant verse here is:
"Provisions you buy at the shop it is true
But if you've no money there's none there for you
So what's a poor man and his family to do
-----
You must go to the shop and you'll ask for a job
They'll answer you there with a shake and a nod"

Followed by the chorus:
"And sing, Oh the hard times of old England
In old England very hard times"

A song bemoaning the economic difficulties of the times. Written in the 18th or 19th century depending on where you look, some claim it was written to reflect the hardships after the ending of the Napoleonic Wars. Whenever it was originally written it seems to be timeless, I first heard the song during the 1970s, it seemed appropriate then and it does again now.

Answer: Robbers Retreat

The "Cadgwith Anthem" appears to be associated with Cadgwith, Cornwall. It has for many years been sung in the local area and become the village song. Under the name "The Robbers Retreat", it appears in a couple of books published at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The chorus ends with:
"Then away, then away, then away,
To the caves in yonder mountain
Where the robbers retreat"

Answer: Sum Waves

The tune was written by the band's fiddle player, Peter Knight. "Tansey's Fancy" is a jig that appears on the Steeleye album "Below the Salt". "Sligo Maid" is a reel that is recorded on the Steeleye Span album "Rocket Cottage" while "Castle Rock" is the name of a tune on the Fairport Convention album "Fame and Glory".

Answer: Tree bark

This song originated in Britain but crossed the Atlantic and several versions have been collected in North America. The synopsis is the woman of the title having sent her three sons away, in this case across the sea, but in some versions across the mountains or to school. They die. The mother then wishes and longs for her sons to return. They do, but only for one night.

"It fell about the Martinmas, the nights were long and dark,
Three sons came home to Usher's Well their hats were made of bark
That neither grew in forest green nor on any wooded rise,
But from the north side of the tree that grows in Paradise."

And a bit later;
"Then up and crowed the blood red cock and up and crowed the grey,
The oldest to the youngest said, "It's time we were away.
For the cock does crow and the day doth show and the channerin worm doth chide
And we must go from Usher's Well to the gates of Paradise."

According to folk song collector Alan Lomax; "in several versions of the song, the children return wearing (birch) bark caps, which is a sure sign of magic", but other versions seem to imply that the children have been to school, possibly to learn magic. Either way the moral in some versions that you shouldn't send your children away to get educated. Possibly to some rural people of the past, reading and writing did count as magic.

Answer: Robin Hood

This song is the story of a pedlar, Gamble Gold, who meets a couple of muggers, one of whom demands half his goods. This local hoodlum is Robin Hood. They fight and eventually Robin calls it a draw. At this point he asks the pedlar's name, hears the reply and realises they are cousins. Time to retire to the pub for drinks all round.

The song doesn't explain why the other "troublesome blade", Little John, didn't get involved in the fighting but that is folk song for you, unresolved threads everywhere.

Answer: Green willow

The chorus of this song tells all, at least as far as answering the question goes.
"All around my hat I will wear the green willow,
All around my hat, for a twelve-month and a day.
And if anyone should ask me the reason why I'm wearing it:
It's all for my true love who's far, far away."

It implies that her lover is far across the sea or suchlike. But the verses give a different story. This being set in time when women kept their maidenheads until marriage (at least in the songs), the woman is complaining of her lover being a bit forward. Expecting her to melt and go to bed with him for a diamond ring.

"The other night he brought me a fine diamond ring
But he thought to have deprived me of a far better thing.
But I being careful like lovers ought to be;
He's a false deluding young man, let him go farewell he"

Answer: Kisses three

Here we have a knight, out in the forest, heading home while thinking about his wedding which is the next day. He meets with the elf-king's daughter who tries to get him to dance with her. Having her various gifts rejected, she isn't very happy and hits him, hard.
"Do you refuse to dance with me
A plague of death shall follow thee
Between his shoulders a blow she dealt
Such a blow he'd never felt"

The chorus of this song repeats that tomorrow is the knight's dying day, although this might just refer to a wedding day being the death of a bachelor's lifestyle.

The song itself is a version of a Danish folk song about Sir Olof. Two versions of the song are to be found in the 1860 English language book, "The Fairy Mythology" by Thomas Keightley. This book is found as a free e-book and amongst other songs has both "Sir Olof in the Elfe-dance" and "The Elf-woman and Sir Olof". The song "700 Elves" which Steeleye recorded on "Now We Are Six" is also derived from this source.

Answer: Looking in a mirror

The actual words are:
"Those women will fret, those women will fuss
They spend five hours before their glass"

A simple song about the joys of a man remaining single. Quite plainly laid out in the verse:
"Bachelor's Hall is always the best
If you're sick, drunk or sober it's always a rest
No woman to scold you, no children to bawl
Always stay single, keep Bachelor's Hall."

Answer: Black Jack Davy

It may be a surprise to some but the single reached the top ten in the charts. The only other single by Steeleye that troubled the scorers was "Gaudete" in 1973. The B-side of "All Around My Hat" in 1975 was "Black Jack Davy". There was a 1982 single released in the Netherlands with "All Around My Hat" on one side and "Gaudete" on the other. But "Gaudete" does not appear on this album.

A second single was released from the album with "Hard Times of Old England" and "Cadgwith Anthem" on the two sides.