The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens, also known as Child Ballad No. 58, is a popular Scottish ballad that has been widely studied and recorded. It tells the story of Sir Patrick Spens, a knight who is chosen by the king to sail to Norway to bring the king's future bride back to Scotland. However, the ship is caught in a storm and sinks, resulting in the loss of all onboard.The origins of the ballad are difficult to trace, as it has been passed down orally through generations before being written down. The earliest known written version of the ballad is found in the 1765 edition of James Watson's "Choice Collection of Comic and Serious Scots Poems." However, it is believed that the ballad existed in oral tradition long before it was written down.
The story of Sir Patrick Spens is often considered a fictional tale, but it has been suggested that it may be based on real events or individuals. Some theories propose that the ballad was inspired by the historical event known as the "Black Sun" disaster in 1281. This event involved the death of Margaret, the Maid of Norway, who was the potential bride of King Edward II of England. She died during her journey from Norway to Scotland, and her death had significant political consequences.
The ballad has gone through various adaptations and versions over time. Different versions exist with variations in the lyrics, melodies, and even the outcome of the story. In some versions, Sir Patrick Spens and his crew survive the storm, while in others, they all perish. The ballad has been adapted and recorded by numerous artists, both in traditional and contemporary styles, showcasing its enduring popularity.
Notable adaptations of the ballad include versions by popular folk artists such as Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, and Ewan MacColl. These renditions have helped to keep the ballad alive in the folk music tradition. Additionally, the story of Sir Patrick Spens has influenced literature, appearing in works by writers such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Alistair MacLean.
The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens remains an integral part of Scottish folk music and has captivated audiences for centuries. Its enduring popularity, historical significance, and adaptability continue to make it a beloved and frequently performed ballad.
Mainly Norfolk: English and Scottish folk and other GOOD music. Sir Patrick Spens (Roud 41; Child 58; G/D 1:17). (n.d.). https://www.mainlynorfolk.info/sandy.denny/songs/sirpatrickspens.html
Encyclopedia.com. (2023, July 10). ." poetry for students. . encyclopedia.com. 29 Jun. 2023 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/sir-patrick-spens
The first video below is a more historically accurate recording...
The video below is a more recent rendition of ballad no. 58
Here are the original lyrics for Sir Patrick Spens (Version 58B)
THE king he sits in Dumferling,
Drinking the blude reid wine: O
‘O where will I get a gude sailor,
That’l sail the ships o mine?’ O
Up then started a yallow-haird man,
Just be the kings right knee:
‘Sir Patrick Spence is the best sailor
That ever saild the see.’
Then the king he wrote a lang letter,
And sealld it with his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence,
That was lyand at Leith Sands.
When Patrick lookd the letter on,
He gae loud laughters three;
But afore he wan to the end of it
The teir blindit his ee.
‘O wha is this has tald the king,
Has tald the king o me?
Gif I but wist the man it war,
Hanged should he be.
‘Come eat and drink, my merry men all,
For our ships maun sail the morn;
Bla’d wind, bla’d weet, bla’d sna or sleet,
Our ships maun sail the morn.’
‘Alake and alas now, good master,
For I fear a deidly storm;
For I saw the new moon late yestreen,
And the auld moon in her arms.’
They had not saild upon the sea
A league but merely three,
When ugly, ugly were the jaws
That rowd unto their knee.
They had not saild upon the sea
A league but merely nine,
When wind and weit and snaw and sleit
Came blawing them behind.
‘Then where will I get a pretty boy
Will take my steer in hand,
Till I go up to my tap-mast,
And see gif I see dry land?’
‘Here am I, a pretty boy
That’l take your steir in hand,
Till you go up to your tap-mast,
And see an you see the land.’
Laith, laith were our Scottich lords
To weit their coal-black shoon;
But yet ere a’ the play was playd,
They wat their hats aboon.
Laith, laith war our Scottish lords
To weit their coal-black hair;
But yet ere a’ the play was playd,
They wat it every hair.
The water at St Johnston’s wall
Was fifty fathom deep,
And there ly a’ our Scottish lords,
Sir Patrick at their feet.
Lang, lang may our ladies wait
Wi the tear blinding their ee,
Afore they see Sir Patrick’s ships
Come sailing oer the sea.
Lang, lang may our ladies wait,
Wi their babies in their hands,
Afore they see Sir Patrick Spence
Come sailing to Leith Sands.
58A: Sir Patrick Spens. The Child Ballads: 58. Sir Patrick Spens. (n.d.). https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch058.htm
The rewrite...
I chose to switch the story around to the narrative of Space Force Seargent, Steve Porter, getting sent to the dark side of the moon to harvest diamond ore that had recently been discovered. The story plays out in a similar way, they almost recover the diamonds for the benefit of the entire world, but the ship was destroyed by a solar storm before they could get out of the moon's atmosphere. The song is called "King of Space" as a metaphor for Seargent Porter's astronaut helmet that was left behind on the moon. Its also symbolic of his reputation back on earth, all of the government and military officials really believed in Steve, that's why it was quoted "With faith they held down, the Seargents crown" This was also a top-secret mission, the press knew about it but couldn’t break the story until the diamonds were brought back to earth, while the world didn't find out until years later, it was still seen from space the diamond ore and ship wreckage floating through space and into the earth atmosphere, but the masses had no clue what it was...
Here are the lyrics for my modernized version
Ruffians
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
oh
Oo
king of space
Oo
I’m tha
King of space
Oo
The President is in his bunker drinking wine
O who can I find, to fly this ship of mine?
Sergeant Steve porter he truly can fly
the best astronaut, around
Across the moon he'll glide."
Our President sent a letter, stamped and signed
And sent it off to Steve
Roaming on the lunar sands
'To the dark side, to the dark side,
To the dark side of the moon;
Precious diamonds, rare and true
The first word that Steve heard
He laughed out loud
But the next word that he saw
tears flowed down
who has chose this path,
Who is to say my name?
To send us out this soon?
To venture unknown land
'Be it wind, be it dust, be it crater, be it freeze,
Our spaceship faces horrors
diamond ore from the dark side's floors
They launched their spaceships right that Monday morn,
With all the speed they could
landed on the dark sides core
Prepare, prepare, prepare my valiant crew!
Our mission commences now
Suited up we drop right down
Hold on hold on Sargent we have issues
For the dark side of the moon,
I dread a perilous doom
'I spot a solar wind her strength is great
if we venture further sir
we'll soon face our fate
They had not traveled a mile
but barely three,
When the sky did grow dark, the winds blew
The engines faltered, cracked,
In midst of storm,
the lunar waves engulfed their ship and crew,
'Grab a sheet of lunar foil
a solder gun right now!
And Wrap it around the ship to seal the void out
They fetched the alloy and the sturdy steel,
wrap around it tightly now!
But the seal broke down
Oh’ reluctant were the men apart of his crew
their lunar boots drowned
the load had just touched down
And many were the precious diamonds that they saw
They floated cross the sky
Out of reach forever now
Oh long, Oh long the people now will wait,
With faith they held down
The Sergeants Crown
And long, so long it was the press did wait
The space force never returned
Their ship had crashed and burned
The earth soon did feel the pain
there was no peace
For the dark side's ground,
Now owns the Sergeant’s crown
Written By: Jenu McLucas
Listen to my rendition of 'Sir Patrick Spens' - King Of Space below 👇🏾
I wanted to keep the production reminiscent of a time period where classical music was the music of the average human being, but It also has my St. Louis-influenced hip-hop sound intertwined into it. Intertwining the beat arrangement and lyrical delivery allowed for a more realistic musical expression, I'd like to think that I'm implementing traditional cinematographic techniques but in a sonic medium rather than a visual one. Also, for recording vocals, I tried to match the dynamic range of the traditional recordings all while adding some new flavor at the same time. This song taught me the art of storytelling, and how one could tell a story from all possible sides of the scenario. In the song, I switch perspectives between who's talking so it'll be a common listening experience for you to close your eyes while listening and have the ability to visualize everything that you just heard. Even with the adlibs, they serve to mimic that initial reaction of someone else that's also in the room but that isn't the main focus of the scene. All of these nuances (there's plenty more that I couldn't even mention) I love drama and its effects on the human psyche, and for a while that has been evident in the music that I make but now I hope to develop that same skill in the form of writing songs. Thanks for listening!