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Now that you mention it, I think I may have heard Joan Baez Go No More A-Roving a long time ago.

Some interesting background on A Roving for scholars and the curious:

A'Rovin'
2002-10-28Added by: Maddy
In 1817 Byron was living in Venice, in the Palazzo Mocenigo. It was described by one of his friends as a cross between a brothel and a menagerie, since, as well as numerous prostitutes, Byron kept for company a number of peacocks and a monkey which were allowed to roam around the staircase to look ornamental (mind where you tread!). Downstairs he kept a wolf, a fox and other large beasties. He had grown fat and dressed in lavish clothing with many rings. Sometimes the other occupants of his palace disturbed his sleep with their squawking and quarrelling to the extent that he slept the night in his gondola on the lagoon.
It was during the famous Carnivale of Venice, when people roam the streets in masks and party for four days, that Byron wrote this charming poem.
It was immediately satirised with this shanty which is probably better known than the poem itself-
"A'rovin', a'rovin'!
Since rovin's been my ru-i-in,
I'll go no more a'rovin
with you, fair maid!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
and she was mistress of her trade,
I'll go no more 'arovin'
with you, fair maid!
I put my hand upon her waist
mark well what I do say!
I put my hand upon her waist
that was so trim and tightly lace
I'll go no more 'arovin'
with you, fair maid!
I put my hand upon her thigh
mark well what I do say!
I put my hand upon her thigh
She said "Young Sir, you're rather high!"
and so on.......
with you, fair maid!



2004-02-01Added by: KT
George Gordon, Lord Byron, wrote the poem So We’ll Go No More A-Roving when he was in his late twenties. The first line of the poem “So we’ll go no more a-roving” makes it seem unlikely that he was alone. Does it mean him and a woman or him and a friend? At the age of twenty-nine he wrote a letter to his friend Moore in which he included the poem. He wrote “Though I did not dissipate overmuch… yet I find “the sword wearing out the scabbard,” though I have but just turned the corner of twenty-nine.” So back to the first line of the poem. By “we”, does Lord Byron mean he and Moore? The weeks of dissipation he mentions are during the Venetian carnival.

The second stanza begins with the line “For the sword outwears its sheath.” He mentions this also in his letter to Moore. By sword, Byron means the soul, and by sheath, he means the body. Lord Byron is not at all old – he has just lived his life so wildly, so energetically, that he is already worn out. In fact, he dies at the young age of thirty-six. The second stanza:

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And Love itself have rest.

Byron’s body cannot keep going at the pace he wants to. He is aware that he is wearing himself out. Byron was notorious for his extravagant way of life, for his love affairs and for his poetry. He was a handsome and wealthy young man, he seemed to have “a way with women.” He separated with from his wife soon after the birth of their daughter, and was rumoured to have had an incestuous relationship with his half-sister Augusta. He also had an affair with his friend’s half-sister, Claire Claremont during which she became pregnant. It seems that most of his time was taken up with women and loving. The third stanza begins:

Though the night was made for loving,

Does Byron think that that is all the night was made for? Not for sleeping? No wonder he is worn out. Now he realises that he has worn himself out, that he is paying the price for his wild youth. The poem is full of soft sounds, for example “sword,” “sheath” and “rest,” which portray Byron’s weariness. He uses long vowel sounds to emphasise the lethargy which he feels. He still loves, he still wants to love, but he realises that he is worn out and that they “will go no more a-roving / By the light of the moon.”

It seems a pity that such a great poet as Byron should waste away his life in this way.

lightning wrote:Try to get a hold of the Richard Dyer-Bennett original or the Joan Baez cover of it on Joan Baez 5. Much sweeter, more melodious and flows smoothly instead of being chopped up into short phrases. A nod to Byron with So We'll Go No More A'Roving and to Keats with Nightingale.

Following this information, I checked the Joan Baez on AMG and found out for that man I never hard of, Richard Dyer-Bennet. It seems quiet interesting folk composer-performer, he also composed to Keats' poem, and his life project was to make the music to Homer.
If anybody has his albums I'll be very happy for trading... There are some new compilations, "The Art of Richard Dyer-Bennet", vols. 1-7. The first, Vol. 1, is cathegorised as "must-have" and there's So We'll Go No More A-Roving. (He's singing all the songs himself.)
Anybody?


By the way, maybe that's the reason why Leonard titled his rendition Go No More A-Roving. According to AMG, there were some more trying to set Byron's poem to music /even classical one), but there's no Leonard's version listed - because the title isn't the same!

Richard Dyer-Bennet's records are quite old (50's, some earlier that I haven't seen) and therefore rare. He put them out himself on his own label Dyer-Bennet Records. He was influential in the movement that attempted to bridge the gap between folk and fine art. Check Ebay in America, Canada and the UK for them if you need the vinyl. He wrote a lot of explanations on the back of the records which may not be on the CDs, I've never seen them. Baez got a lot of her early music from him. Good luck

Thanks! Maybe someone will show up with that "Vol 1" CDR, or I will find it for downloading.

There were 24 items on American Ebay for Richard Dyer-Bennet. Smithsonian Folkways issued his whole catalog on CD and they are a great label ( from the Smithsonian museum). Prices are reasonable but it's always nicer to pay nothing.

Kush, what are your thoughts on the Willie Nelson CD? My all time favourite song by him is "You were always on my mind." I want it to be played at my funeral.
I carry a Donor Card that specifies that the organs of my body can be used to donate to others and when the doctors have taken what they want, then I'll be cremated. After the service, my wife is going to take my ashes to be scattered on the Ganges at Varanasi (Benares).
When I'm gone, what finally remains of my carcass, will be of no use to me or anyone else. I'll be poured from a ghat onto the river and after that my wife is going to have a holiday for as long as she wants, touring India. She'll be able to say her goodbyes while surrounded by the colours, aromas, sites, sights, and blaze of India.
I don't want people to stand around a hole in the ground, looking down at the earth and thinking of me in such an institutionalised way of behaviour. I want people to look up and let life hit them between the eyes as they say goodbye.
Blimey Albert, that got a bit spookie, or wot!

I posted the 24th Amazon review and urge all to visit this site and give your review.

   So intimately does Leonard Cohen murmur in our ears with his age worn voice we cannot help believe "Dear Heather is a letter to us.

The letter writer of Famous Blue Raincoat is now showing us the inside of his mind as he carefully spells out his letter to the fascinating Heather, muse for a catchy, simple novelty song I could even imagine making it to the top 40 charts.

However, much of the rest of Dear Heather, like other Cohen creations, are far from the realm of popular music-- too sophisticated, too deep, too poetic, too mystical.

"Go No More a Rovin" adds music to Lord Byron's poem about being too tired, either from age or dissipation, for love. People familiar with a sweeter Richard Dyer-Bennet version (Richard Dyer Bennet, vol. 1) or Joan Baez's cover on Joan Baez 5 will be dismayed at hearing the fractured melody and choppy performance but people unfamiliar with the song will find it intriguing.

In "Because Of", a spoken piece, Leonard in his gentlemanly way, tells us women are still obliging him in his old age because his songs have spoken of their mystery. It brings a smile to the face of many an old rake.

"The Letters" is a fine contribution to the Cohen Songbook of Heartbreak , while "There for You" and "The Faith" enter The Leonard Cohen Hymnal along side other modern religious masterpieces such as "If it Be Your Will."

"Villanelle for our Times" by the late Canadian poet Frank Scott, is a stirring foray into social utopianism, even communism. "To A Teacher" another spoken piece reminds us of the complexity of Cohen's early work( it was written in the '60's) as Cohen visits his messianic teacher in the looney bin (if I understand it right.)

"Tennessee Waltz" takes us back to 1985 when Cohen was more able to sing and recalls the time he and his wife spent in Nashville.

"On that Day" a song about the 9/11 tragedy reflects Cohen's usual centrist position, "I don't know, I'm just holding the fort" and is punctuated with twanging Jews Harp . For someone who was in New York at the time of the attack, it seems like it's not strong enough, especially for Leonard Cohen.

Undertow, Morning Glory and Nightingale seems like lesser works . Morning Glory is experimental, stream of consciousness words over jazz. Leonard talks to himself, expressing desultory thoughts that finally lead to the epiphany, the Transcendental moment. The back-up "angels" Sharon Robinson and Anjani Thomas chime in like a church choir. The whole CD is permeated with angellic Musak-y voices which sometimes take over, overwhelm, and I often wish weren't there.

Better to hear Cohen's deep, simple honest, though worn-out voice than professional back-up singers and shlocky sax that reminds me of Kenny G.

In sum, there are 4 great, classic tracks on this CD I'd nominate for Cohen's next "Best of": the Faith, the Letters, There for You, Villanelle for our Times.

If you like getting letters from Leonard Cohen , Dear Heather is for you.

A very impressively-written review, Lightning ! Honest, as always, in your perspective .

"So intimately does Leonard Cohen murmur in our ears with his age worn voice we cannot help believe "Dear Heather is a letter to us." Who knows for sure, but what it's not?

For the ones who wonder why "Tennessee Waltz" is included, this may be the key: "'Tennessee Waltz' takes us back to 1985 when Cohen was more able to sing and recalls the time he and his wife spent in Nashville."
As he looks back into his past, perhaps, he acknowledges and honours Suzanne's role in his life, without being so obvious to the other listeners, such as us. Maybe, it was a favourite song between them. To those, for whom its inclusion makes no sense ~ a private, closing message that, perhaps, links back to and underscores "The Letters" and "There For You" ~ perhaps, it was only meant to make sense to one.

Impossible romantic that I am [my Piscean right, you know ], the thought of such inclusions, for such reasons, couldn't get any better than that .....as the lesser loyalties depart, the true remain standing.

~ Lizzy

It seemed to me that the Tennessee Waltz might have described his relationship with Suzanne during the Nashville times, and the Letters also describe the same kind of rejection he endured from her in Hallelujah. "There for You" I thought referred to the Divine Beloved, not a woman.

That's also what my friend, Phil, thought about "There For You" ~ but with Leonard's love of dualities ~ it could be a particular woman [Suzanne/whomever] and the Divine Beloved, as well ~ especially, if we're tying it in with "The Letters" and "Tennessee Waltz" .

I am astounded by the amount of replies lizzytysh has. That is true dedication to Cohen. I thank you for all your thoughts.

Ah! I am a Piscean too, Elizabeth and I am not romantic ("soppy" for me, really). I have very delicate emotions, however but I think that when something is over, in a dead end, a relationship or whatever, you have to burry it and go your way. Make a ceremonial, cry and laugh and cry about it all again but burn or burry it. But maybe am I more Aquarius my, how do you say that? ascendent? I don't know.

I'm impressed by the knowledge of his intimate life you have. I would not have know about Suzanne and Tenessee Waltz.

"There for you" seems to me definetely about the Divine Beloved.

I understand people who are missing the "real" (ancient) music on the CD - I was listening "Essential Ella Fitzgerald" and this big ban, you know, that was something else. That was something of another time, and maybe of other kind of music than folk.

In another thread I was comparing the synth. with the Jaw's harp. Something you have at home and can master alone in your own way, I meant.

And now I was wondering of the time it would have take to him to do this CD if he has done it with "real" music. Two or 3 more eternities?

Oh! Lord!

For me I do not consider that it is crime againts? Againts what in fact? to have mixed old and new stuff and used the synth. and experimented. And somewhere I am happy that he was wearing his ST uniform : Go ahead with this, I want to see what will happen next.

CORRECTION: I know nothing of Leonard and Suzanne with the Tennessee Waltz. That was all conjecture, which I picked up on from Lightning. If you reread the postings, you'll see where that fork in the road appeared.

Yes, well.....there have to be a soppy few of us to make you pragmatic ones look good . Indeed, as those who know of my personal life know, I have in some, a couple [okay, one? ] substantial ways held on to the past. Not saying it's the healthiest route to take ......but sometimes ceremonials and burials work very well; other times they're not effective at all. I've done that with other things/people, however.

I always thought I was Gemini Rising. Turns out I'm Taurus . Astrologically, there's 'justification' for the "Tennessee Waltz"/"The Letters" variety of associations with me.

For me I do not consider that it is crime againts? Againts what in fact? to have mixed old and new stuff and used the synth. and experimented.

I agree with this comment, Tchocolatl. Like there's some prescribed continuum that Leonard is assigned to progress along, and in the manner which 'others' determine to be 'progressing.'

Even with the style and sound of music that takes me back to my own, earlier years, but that some others object to. Why is it a 'crime' to go 'retro' with one's own creations. So, yes, you see his Star Trek drawing as having been 'predictive' of what was coming next with Dear Heather? Excellent point on how long another album might well have taken had he relied on coordinating the schedules and ideas of others .

As for the ancient instruments, I could never get enough of those with Leonard's music. However, Leonard's voice and words are what I value most from that triad.

~ Elizabeth

Oh, Dear TheAmethyst ~

Welcome to the Forum [albeit many months late ]!

What a Pandora's Box you've happened upon with your comment. I caution you to immediately take at least five steps backward, but do not turn around whilst doing so. Keep your eyes on the box. If you lose, even for a moment, your fixation on it, a Partisan may lunge and grab us both by the throat. As soon as you're safely out of range, turn around and run like hell !

Meanwhile, thank you for the relief your final comment brought .

~ Lizzy