Roll the Carriage 'Round

My sister sent me a song last week that she wrote and recorded. It's a wonderfully simple song about war and loss, the kind of song, like an old English ballad, that you feel you've known all your life.

Jenny's a professional songwriter, who's worked in Nashville and written songs for some major country music artists. She did the recording at home. When I heard the song, I fell in love with it, and asked if she wanted me to do a small video to go with it. We worked on it this week and just posted it to YouTube.

It's a typical mash-up, with odds and ends of photos and clips. (Because the YouTube video quality is so low, the pans and cross-fades distort. If anyone would like a broadcast-quality file of the song or video for radio or TV use, send me a note at cadejo4 (at) fastmail.fm with your specs and I'll make sure you get it!)

Roll The Carriage 'Round
(Jennifer Sherrill, © 2007)

I give my love a deep red rose
His soft blue satin pillow
Is sprinkled with the yarrow blooms
From underneath the willow
The sad and weeping willow

(Chorus:)
Roll the carriage 'round, boys
Roll the carriage 'round
Time to load 'er down, boys
Roll the carriage 'round

Let heavens tears of anger pour
I wish this world to suffer
I'd give this country up to war
If I could keep my lover
My silent, sleeping lover

(repeat chorus)

(Bridge:)
My dear brave soldier
Who won't grow older
While time leaves me here dying
I'll curse the guns
And the anthems sung
And the flag they will be flying

(Repeat chorus and 1st verse)