The Folk Orc Repertoire #4 - Turtle Dove

note: A.I. pretty good at Turtle Doves sitting on yonder trees. You have been warned!

I have occasionally been accused of leaning heavily on songs that deal with murder, drinking and the less than salubrious activities between maiden and sailor. I’m not going to pretend that it’s not true either. It must be human nature to gawp at the morbid and disturbing aspects of life. It’s why we used to have public hangings, the stocks, gibbets etc. It’s why murder documentaries on Netflix are so popular. It's why the storylines in soap operas are not detailing how a group of people get on really well and have a nice time together at the seaside. So, yes, the songs in The Folk Orc Repertoire largely deal with death, out of wedlock pregnancies and a glorified view of alcohol consumption, but there are some exceptions.

One such exception is 'Turtle Dove', which is nothing more than a song about love. As with many traditional folk songs there are several different versions around, with varying lyrics and titles. You may have come across the song 10,000 miles which shares a few plot points that signify that they must have come from a similar starting point. The basic synopsis of both songs is that two lovers are parting for a time and the one who is leaving promises to return even if it means them travelling for 10,000 miles, which - as noted in Eliza Carthy's version - 'it is a long way.'

The version I have worked from is in a 1908 booklet of 'lesser known folk songs' that I picked up in a charity shop some time ago. I should point out that I don't think the version I have is an original 1908 copy sadly, it must be a reprint, but no other date is printed on it. If it is the original 1908 printing then it is in worryingly good condition, proof of the exsistance of time travel type condition. I love finding these old folk song collections in charity shops, they throw up some real oddities occasionally. This particular booklet lists Scarborough Fair as one of it's lesser known folk songs, which is testament to its vintage as that song has arguably been one the most well known folk songs since Simon and Garfunkel recorded it in 1966.

The Turtle Dove: A Dorset Folk Song

The song in the booklet is called 'The Turtle Dove' and is noted as being a Dorset Folk Song. Which means that H. E. D. Hammond - who is cited as having collected the song - 'collected' it in Dorset. What we mean by 'collected' is that he heard it sung by someone and wrote it down. This has always been one of the most fascinating parts of the story of traditional folk music in this country. Around the beginning of the twentieth century, 1904 or there abouts, you had a group of well educated men roaming the country, listening to farmers, labourers, drunks in pubs and women hanging out their washing, singing songs that they would mostly have learnt by ear from previous generations. These educated men then dutifully wrote down what they heard and it is thanks to them doing this that we still have so many folk songs to choose from. The Hammond brothers spent a lot of time collecting songs around dorset at this time.

Here is a version of mine:

The song is a conversation between two lovers and I think we can safely assume that the man is leaving, probably off to sea as many men did. Here are the lyrics.

Turtle Dove - Lyrics

Oh, don't you see, the turtle dove,

Sitting under yonder tree.

Lamenting for her own true love,

And I will mourn for thee my dear,

I will mourn for thee.

If you must suffer grief and pain,

'tis but for a little while.

For though I go away, I'll return again,

If I have to row ten thousand miles, my dear

If I have row ten thousand miles.

Ten thousand miles is very far,

For me to bide alone.

With a heavy, heavy sigh and a bitter, bitter cry

No one will hear my moan my dear,

No one will hear my moan.

I may not stay your grievous moan,

Your pain I may not ease.

Yet I will love but thee alone,

Till the streams run from the seas my dear,

Till the streams run from the seas.

The tides shall cease to beat the shore,

The stars will fall from the sky,

Yet I will love thee more and more,

Until the day I die my dear,

Until the day I die.

Then let the seas run dry sweetheart,

the rocks melt in the sun,

Yet here I will stay nor ever from thee part

Till all my days are done my dear,

Till all my days are done.

It is always a good idea to try and fully understand the story behind the song so let's break it down verse by verse.

Verse 1 - Woman: "When you go away to sea I am going to be as sad a that dove over there is about Mr. Dove not being around anymore." (Mr. Dove is missing, presumed pie ingredient.)

Verse 2 - Man: "It will be hard for you to do without my awesomeness, but don't worry, I will be back even if it means me rowing ten thousand miles." (For scale, ten thousand miles is like rowing from Southampton to New York, realising that you forgot your socks and rowing back again, and then rowing off to New York once more.)

Verse 3 - Woman: "The time it will take you to row ten thousand miles is a long while for me to be alone, but I won't grumble, I'll just suffer silently." (The classic 'I'm not going to make a scene but I want you to know I'm not happy and then we shall see if you make the right decision,' play.)

Verse 4: Man - "I can't do a lot about your suffering, but I will continue to love you." (The classic 'I don't know what I can say now that will make this better so I'm just going to tell you I love you and hope that it fixes everything,' play.)

Verse 5: Woman - "I will love you until the day I die." (We are now in a one-upmanship battle of who loves who more.)

Verse 6: Man: "Ok, I won't go, I shall stay here until I die." (Alright, I won't go on the stag weekend, it's fine, no really, wasn't really bothered in the first place.)

Strong evidence that the relationships between men and women haven't changed much in the last few hundred years.

The Folk Orc Repertoire version of this song is in D Major, it does have a B minor chord in it though, which I know is source of anguish for many guitarists. Look out for a post coming soon that will deal with the dread of B minor once and for all. Here is the official play-along track for the Folk Orc Repertoire version of Turtle Dove. Enjoy.

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