RED AND GOLD FAIRPORT CONVENTION Reference Number : 0297 ***** RED AND GOLD ARE ROYAL COLOURS PEASANT COLOURS ARE GREEN AND BROWN GREEN IS THE CORN IN THE BROWN EARTH WHEN IT'S GROWING RED AND GOLD WHEN THE HARVEST IS CUT DOWN THROUGH CROPREDY IN OXFORDSHIRE THE CHERWELL TAKES ITS COURSE AND THE WILLOWS WEEP INTO ITS WATERS CLEAR MY NAME IT IS WILL TIMMS, IT'S HERE THAT I WAS BORN RAISED IN FAITH MY KING AND GOD TO FEAR IN 1644 THE KING IN OXFORD TOWN DID DWELL THOUGH HE'D HEARD THAT CROMWELLS' ARMY WAS NEARBY IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME, THAT LITTLE CROPREDY COULD BEAR WITNESS TO THE MEETING OF BOTH SIDES ON JUNE THE TWENTY-NINTH THAT YEAR I WAS ABOUT MY WORK CUTTING HEDGES IN A MEADOW BY THE STREAM MY BLADE SLIPPED I CUT MY HAND MY OWN DEAR BLOOD DID FLOW ON THE BROWN EARTH AND THE CORN STILL GREEN NOW IT DID DISTRESS ME SO TO WATCH MY OWN BLOOD FLOW AND QUICKLY SOAK INTO THE GREEDY GROUND IN RED AND GOLD MY COLOURS SWAM AND SWEAT BROKE ON MY BROW FAINT, I KNEW THAT I MUST LAY ME DOWN RED AND GOLD ARE ROYAL COLOURS PEASANT COLOURS ARE GREEN AND BROWN GREEN IS THE CORN IN THE BROWN EARTH WHEN IT'S GROWING RED AND GOLD WHEN THE HARVEST IS CUT DOWN FIRST I THOUGHT THE THUNDERING WAS JUST INSIDE MY HEAD SO I RAISED MYSELF ABOVE THE HEDGE TO SEE AND I WATCHED AS IN A DREAM AS THE ARMIES FOUGHT DOWNSTREAM THE BATTLE FOR THE BRIDGE OF CROPREDY NOW THE KINGS MEN FOUGHT IN RED AND GOLD THOUGH CROMWELLS' MEN WERE PLAINER THE BLOOD THEY SPILLED WAS COLOURED JUST THE SAME THROUGH THE HEDGEROWS' FRAGILE COVER, I SAW BROTHER KILLING BROTHER AND ALL OF THIS WAS DONE IN JESUS' NAME RED AND GOLD ARE ROYAL COLOURS PEASANT COLOURS ARE GREEN AND BROWN GREEN IS THE CORN IN THE BROWN EARTH WHEN IT'S GROWING RED AND GOLD WHEN THE HARVEST IS CUT DOWN ALL THAT DAY AND ALL THE NEXT THE BATTLE IT WAS RAGING THOUGH WHEN DARKNESS CAME I SLIPPED AWAY BUT THE CRYING OF THE DYING KEPT ME WAKEFUL AND JUST LYING IN MY BED 'TILL THE DAWNING OF THE DAY AND THE DREAMS I HAD WERE RED AND GOLD, AND THE LITTLE STREAM BECAME A FLOOD FROM ALL MY BROTHERS KILLING ONE ANOTHER 'TILL WAKING I REALISED IT WAS ALL MY OWN DEAR BLOOD SOME WERE BURIED IN THE CHURCH AND SOME JUST WHERE THEY FELL WITH NO MARKERS TO DECLARE THEIR PLACE OF REST BUT THE POPPIES THEY DO GROW WHERE THEY WERE NEVER SOWN TO MY MIND THEY DO DECLARE IT BEST AND EACH YEAR WHEN THE GREEN CORN ONCE AGAIN TURNS INTO GOLD AND THE POPPIES IN THE FIELD AGAIN REMIND ME LIKE THE SCAR UPON MY HAND, THE BLOOD SPILLED ON THIS LAND THE HUNGRY EARTH SO EAGER TO CONFINE ME, FOR RED AND GOLD THEY ARE THE COLOURS ONE IS BLOOD AND ONE IS POWER THOUGH I MAY FIND MY REST IN CROPREDY CHURCH IN GOLDEN FIELDS FOREVER WILL SPRING THE POPPY FLOWER BY CROPREDY THE CHERWELL IS STILL BIDDEN TO KEEP FLOWING AND THE WILLOWS BY ITS' SIDE STILL GENTLY WEEP BUT STILL IN RESTLESS DREAMS BY THIS MOST PEACEFUL STREAM THE POPPIES WAKE ME FROM MY RIGHTFUL SLEEP AND THE DREAMS I HAD WERE RED AND GOLD, AND THE LITTLE STREAM BECAME A FLOOD FROM ALL MY BROTHERS KILLING ONE ANOTHER 'TILL WAKING I REALISED IT WAS ALL MY OWN DEAR BLOOD
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