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Billy Bragg & Wilco — When The Roses Bloom Again
Album: Mermaid Avenue Vol III
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1182









Released: 2012
Length: 4:06
Plays (last 30 days): 0
They were strolling in the gloaming
Where the roses were in bloom
A soldier and his sweetheart brave and true
And their hearts were filled with sorrow
For their thoughts were of tomorrow
As she pinned a rose upon his coat of blue

Do not ask me, love, to linger
For you know not what to say
For duty calls your sweetheart's name again
And your heart need not be sighing
If I be among the dying
I'll be with you when the roses bloom again

When the roses bloom again beside the river
And the mockingbird has sung his sweet refrain
In the days of auld lang syne
I'll be with you sweetheart mine
I'll be with you when the roses bloom again

With the rattle of the battle
Came a whisper soft and low
A soldier who had fallen in the fray
I am dying, I am dying
And I know I have to go
But I want to tell you before I pass away

There's a far and distant river
Where the roses are in bloom
A sweetheart who is waiting there for me
And it's there I pray you take me
I've been faithful, don't forsake me
I'll be with her when the roses bloom again
Comments (56)add comment
The day before yesterday I was in my sports club, and at that day many kids are there with their parents. I was entering the room, and there was this around five or six years young little girl, smiling at me suddenly, so as she knows me, and me, I got touched right in my heart. I'm knowing now, after listening to that lyrics, I met one.
 kingart wrote:

Mermaid Ave. where? Mermaid Ave. down in Coney Island Bklyn? Same? Are you going to make me google street surf the entire length of it looking for that cover art, damn it?!  But I imagine there are many Mermaid Avenues in this world, almost no doubt more Mermaid Avenues than mermaids. But one never knows. 



"The projects are named after the song "Mermaid's Avenue", written by Guthrie. This was also the name of the street in Coney Island, New York, on which Guthrie lived." ~ Wikipedia 
That last stanza slays me
10 - no correspondence will be entered into without prior ok by Bill and Rebecca in person at my door step. Come on Bill & Beck / when Covid is over, you’re welcome to stay at our place in BUDERIM on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Mermaid Ave. where? Mermaid Ave. down in Coney Island Bklyn? Same? Are you going to make me google street surf the entire length of it looking for that cover art, damn it?!  But I imagine there are many Mermaid Avenues in this world, almost no doubt more Mermaid Avenues than mermaids. But one never knows. 
Reminding me of Chris Rea's Road to Hell
Good to keep Woody's Spirit alive and kickin'
Thank You  : )
Would have been better with the true Wilko Johnson.  Love BB though.
 
Great lyrics and tune
This is growing on me, following careful listening to the poignant lyrics:

They were strolling in the gloaming
Through the roses were in bloom,
A soldier and his sweetheart brave and true;
And their hearts were filled with sorrow
As their thoughts were of tomorrow,
As she pinned a rose upon his coat of blue.

Do not ask me, Love, to linger
For you know not what to say,
For Duty calls your Sweetheart’s name again;
And your heart need not be sighing
If I be among the dying;
I’ll be with you when the Roses bloom again.

When the Roses Bloom again beside the River,
And the mockingbird has sung his sweet refrain;
In the Days of Auld Lang Syne,
I’ll be with you Sweetheart mine,
I’ll be with you when the Roses bloom again.

With the rattle of the battle
Came a whisper soft and low,
A soldier who had fallen in the fray;
I am dying, I am dying, and I know I have to go,
But I want to tell you before I pass away:

There’s a far and distant river
When the Roses are in bloom
A sweetheart who is waiting there for me.
And its there I pray you take me
I’ve been faithful, don’t forsake me,
I’ll be with her when the roses bloom again!

Source on woodyguthrie.org


Lovely....
 thrdmnkrcrds wrote:
Verse-after-verse-after blah blah blah blah..

should've known better..? who are you, his mother? these old/elegant lyrics are so far beyond your petty thoughts. a hundred years old but light years out of your reach.   ..solid ten for Tweedy/Bragg effort to dig this up, and 10 again for delivery  

With the rattle of the battle
Came a whisper soft and low
A soldier who had fallen in the fray
I am dying, I am dying
 thrdmnkrcrds wrote:
Verse-after-verse-after-verse with a tagline chorus. 

 
Indeed, "verse-verse-verse-chorus" is extremely common for folk songs (and many other genres), and these lyrics are from over 100 years ago.   A chorus generally is what you call a "tagline" - a repeated phrase.  That's what makes it a chorus.
Verse-after-verse-after-verse with a tagline chorus.  Not memorable enough.  Jeff Tweedy knows better than this.
I read something recently that led me to believe that Billy Bragg did some songs, and Wilco did some songs. Doesn't really sound like there's any real collaboration on those Mermaids.
This sounds so nice today....
 tutakea wrote:
Billy Bragg is okay...
Wilco is more than okay.
But together for me it doesn´ t work. Sounds like it is Billy Bragg minus Wilco... Just boring
 
To me it sounds like Wilco minus Billy. But yes, it's boring. A shame, as I'm a big fan of Billy Bragg, musically and politically. A guy I'd happily share a pint or four with :*)
Universally it's "roaming in the gloaming", sounds like a misquote to me.
Billy Bragg is okay...
Wilco is more than okay.
But together for me it doesn´ t work. Sounds like it is Billy Bragg minus Wilco... Just boring
Magnificent! Everything these guys did together is just top knotch!! 10!{#Clap}
new one to me 
 i likey 
 Glencoe_JC wrote:

that's cause it's auld Scots

 
{#High-five}

 Geecheeboy wrote:
Did I ever mention this is my upload?  Yay!!
 

Good job from a fellow Geecheeboy!{#Cheers}
 ihategrapejuice wrote:
"gloaming" is such a fantastic and under-used word for twilight
 
that's cause it's auld Scots

 ihategrapejuice wrote:
"gloaming" is such a fantastic and under-used word for twilight
 
Radiohead used it.  its probably fantastic in part because of how infrequently it occurs.

 Geecheeboy wrote:
Did I ever mention this is my upload?  Yay!!
 
Good job. I have all the samplers that Oxford put out before their unfortunate demise - they are full of good music from a wide variety of performers.

"gloaming" is such a fantastic and under-used word for twilight
 Geecheeboy wrote:
Laura Cantrell?  Not familiar with her.  I will have to look, though, because I sure do love this song. 

 
Here ya' go, bub. https://www.lauracantrell.com/mp3/whentherosesbloomagain.mp3 {#Smile}
 Geecheeboy wrote:
Did I ever mention this is my upload?  Yay!!
 
Thanks!

Laura Cantrell?  Not familiar with her.  I will have to look, though, because I sure do love this song. 

 Geecheeboy wrote:
Did I ever mention this is my upload?
 
Good job! I love hearing Jeff sing this. Have you ever heard a girl named Laura Cantrell sing this? She does a damned fine job on it. {#Wave}
Did I ever mention this is my upload?  Yay!!


I like this version of the song. I would really like to hear Laura Cantrell's version (or anything else by her) on RP. Please? {#Pray}
 MichaelCrawford wrote:
This has a very similar melody to The Blood of the Lamb from Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue Volume 2.
 
...it threw me for a loop of vague recognition likewise...
underarmor wrote:
Covering Johnny Cash is tough. This doesn't do it for me.

Cash may have recorded it first but it is not his song.  A.P. "Doc" Carter wrote it.

 Eric_Denison wrote:
Very nice.  Remided me a lot of the new Corb Lund album, though Corb is a bit more country.
 


Very nice.  Remided me a lot of the new Corb Lund album, though Corb is a bit more country.
MichaelCrawford wrote:
This has a very similar melody to The Blood of the Lamb from Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue Volume 2.
   

You're right - I thought that's what this was for a second. The difference is that Blood of the Lamb really stays in a minor key and this one ventures a bit into happier territory - at least by country music standards.

Apparently Wilco & Bragg didn't get along much but they made some great recordings...

aragon wrote:
Billy and Wilco? Who'd have thought? Great pairing!All of a sudden I feel like hearing "Greetings from the New Brunette", "Help Save The Youth of America" and "The Warmest Room" from Talking with the Taxman about Poetry. Just rapidly got "Mermaid Avenue". Great Album!! Can't forgive myself for not having bought it back in 1998. Never too late.


Get "Mermaid Avenue Volume II", you won't be disappointed. In my opinion, it's even better than number one.


I love Laura Cantrell's version. I uploaded a bunch of Laura Cantrell songs, but they all got "sorried." I like this version of the song, too. bookishbitty wrote:
Laura Cantrell does a nice version of this song.
MichaelCrawford wrote:
This has a very similar melody to The Blood of the Lamb from Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue Volume 2. The lyrics to the two Mermaid Avenue albums were written by Woody Guthrie, but he never wrote music for them. Guthrie's widow asked Billy Bragg to do that.
True...but I like this one better. Lovely song.
Billy and Wilco? Who'd have thought? Great pairing!All of a sudden I feel like hearing "Greetings from the New Brunette", "Help Save The Youth of America" and "The Warmest Room" from Talking with the Taxman about Poetry. Just rapidly got "Mermaid Avenue". Great Album!! Can't forgive myself for not having bought it back in 1998. Never too late.
Nice little tune, IMHO
Made my ears perk up after the song before it by Elbow ...Pffff This is much more like IT
This has a very similar melody to The Blood of the Lamb from Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue Volume 2. The lyrics to the two Mermaid Avenue albums were written by Woody Guthrie, but he never wrote music for them. Guthrie's widow asked Billy Bragg to do that.
Beautiful. Plaintive. Hopeful. Lovely.
A great American folk singer, Jeff Tweedy.
Brilliant
xkolibuul wrote:
I believe that's Son Vlt, Yinzr.
I bliv yr wrng.
I believe that's Son Vlt, Yinzr. milehighYinzer wrote:
Wilco is awsome, and Uncle Tuplo was too. I am off to see Son Volt this Saturday.
What a great collaboration!
Wilco is awsome, and Uncle Tuplo was too. I am off to see Son Volt this Saturday.
I had to log back in for this one. I LOVE this... Wonder if it is only on the Sampler or if its recorded on a Billy Bragg/Wilco Album? Must check that out
Laura Cantrell does a nice version of this song.
Covering Johnny Cash is tough. This doesn't do it for me.
Looks like Bill is going through his "billy bragg phase". Not a bad phase.