I Am Stretched On Your Grave Lyrics
Kate RusbyMusic Video
I Am Stretched On Your Grave
I am stretched on your grave
And I'll lie here forever
If your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they would not sever
My apple tree, my brightness,
It's time we were together
For I smell of the Earth
And I'm worn by the weather.
When my family think
That I'm safely in my bed
Oh from morn 'til night
I am stretched out at your head
Calling out onto the earth
With tears hot and wild
For the loss of a girl
That I loved as a child.
Do you remember the night
Oh the night when we were lost
In the shade of the blackthorn
And the touch of the frost?
Oh, and thanks be to Jesus
We did all that was right
And your maidenhead still
Is your pillar of light.
[Instrumental]
Oh, the priests and the friars
They approach me in dread
Oh for I love you still
Oh my wife, and you're dead
I still will be your shelter
Through rain and through storm
And with you in your cold grave
I cannot sleep warm
So I am stretched on your grave
And I'll lie here forever
If your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they would not sever
My apple tree, my brightness,
It's time we were together
For I smell of the Earth
And I'm worn by the weather.
Song Details
✍️ Lyrics: Anonymous 17th-century Irish poem titled "Táim sínte ar do thuama". It was translated to English several times, the most notable version by Frank O'Connor - a short story writer and memoirist of over 150 works.
🎶 Music: The poem was put to music in 1979 by Philip King, an Irish musician, film maker and broadcaster. He is also the founding member of the Irish folk-rock band, Scullion.
📝 Song Brief:
A powerful and haunting poem of unwavering love and grief. The narrator has lost the woman he cherished since childhood, and life without her has become unbearable. Each day, from morning until night, he lies upon her grave, longing to be reunited with her in death. The song is filled with deeply emotional imagery, including the heartbreaking line, “with you in your cold grave, I cannot sleep warm,” capturing the depth of his sorrow and the intensity of a love that refuses to fade.
- blackthorn
A thorny shrub with dark bark, white spring blossoms, and small sour fruits known as sloes. Traditionally associated with Irish hedgerows and often symbolizing endurance or sorrow in folklore. - maidenhead
An old term meaning virginity or maidenhood. In historical poetry, it often conveys innocence, purity, or the loss of youth.
🍀 Genre: Irish Folk Song, Love Song
👥 Covers: Scullion, Sinéad O'Connor, The Voice Squad, Runa, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Eithne Ní Uallacháin.
🎤 Featured Artist - Kate Rusby: Born in Penistone, Barnsley, England on Dec 4, 1973. Performing since 1992, she is singer-songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and one of the most noted modern-day folk singers.
💿 Album: Hourglass
Released: March 1, 1997
Country: UK
Format: CD
Label: Pure Records
Studio: Temple Record Studio (Midlothian, Scotland)
