The Verdant Braes of Screen
Category - Historical and modern ballads
The Verdant Braes of Screen tells a story of a man who tries to win the affections of a woman. As it is telling a story we call it a Ballad, i.e. a song or poem that tells a story. We could also call it a Love Song. It is anonymous which means we don't know who composed it.
Type of song - A Ballad which is a song that tells a story. It is also a love song
Tempo - Slow
Metre - 4 (4 beats in each bar)
Form - A, B, C, A1, D.This is quite unusual as it has 5 phrases in each verse. Strophic form is where each verse of a song has the same melody, i.e. there is no chorus.
Mood - Subdued
Lyrics
As I roved out one morning Near the verdant braes of Skreen I put my back to the mossy tree To view the dew on the West Countrie
The dew on the foreign strand.
O sit ye down on the grass, he said On the dewy grass so green For the wee birds all have come and gone Since I my true love seen, he said Since I my true love seen.
O I'll not sit on the grass, she said No lover I'll be of thine For I hear you love a Connaught maid And your heart's no longer mine, she said And your heart's no longer mine.
O I will climb a high high tree And I'll rob a wild bird's nest And back I'll bring what I find there To the arms that I love best, he said
To the arms that I love best.
As I roved out one morning Near the verdant braes of Skreen I put my back to the mossy tree To view the dew on the West Countrie
The dew on the foreign strand.
O sit ye down on the grass, he said On the dewy grass so green For the wee birds all have come and gone Since I my true love seen, he said Since I my true love seen.
O I'll not sit on the grass, she said No lover I'll be of thine For I hear you love a Connaught maid And your heart's no longer mine, she said And your heart's no longer mine.
O I will climb a high high tree And I'll rob a wild bird's nest And back I'll bring what I find there To the arms that I love best, he said
To the arms that I love best.
Choice songs
The one that got away (Katy Perry) - tempo - lively - metre 4 (4/4) - love story - syncopation - composed by K Perry - verse and chorus
holes/passenger
Spanish Train (Chris de Burgh)tells a story of the Lord and the Devil playing poker for souls. Verses spoken. Choruses sung up-beat. Sycopation. 4/4..
City of Chicago (Christy Moore) composed by - famine - metre 4 - tempo moderate - guitar (acoustic) - syncopation - verse and chorus
The A team (Ed Sheeran) - living on the street etc. - syncopation - tempo moderate - verse and chorus - guitar -
For the first time (The Script) is a song by Irish alternative rock band The Script. Written by band members Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan, It's all about going back to basics: drinking cheap wine, eating your dinner off the floor. That's when you meet each other for the first time, when you have nothing."
holes/passenger
Spanish Train (Chris de Burgh)tells a story of the Lord and the Devil playing poker for souls. Verses spoken. Choruses sung up-beat. Sycopation. 4/4..
City of Chicago (Christy Moore) composed by - famine - metre 4 - tempo moderate - guitar (acoustic) - syncopation - verse and chorus
The A team (Ed Sheeran) - living on the street etc. - syncopation - tempo moderate - verse and chorus - guitar -
For the first time (The Script) is a song by Irish alternative rock band The Script. Written by band members Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan, It's all about going back to basics: drinking cheap wine, eating your dinner off the floor. That's when you meet each other for the first time, when you have nothing."
The one that got away.
City of Chicago
Spanish Train