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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Pressed on 180gsm heavyweight black vinyl, nestled within a luxury polylined sleeve and coming complete with a full 16 page booklet of lyrics and Darren's research into the songs, the poems and the events that inspired the music of the time. Each song comes illustrated by a different graphic artist, including Pam Berry, Robert Rotifer, James Paterson, Rose Robbins, Frances Castle, Joe Besford, Jonny Helm, Sarah Lippett, Dan Willson and more...

    Includes unlimited streaming of Bugbears via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Gatefold litho printed brown card sleeved complete with 16 page booklet of illustrations, lyrics and Darren's research notes.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Bugbears via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
Martin Said 02:12
Martin said to his man, Martin said to his man, Martin said to his man, Fill the cup and I the can
Now as well drunken and who’s the fool now? I saw a maid milk a man, I saw a maid milk a man, I saw a maid milk a man,
Lusty eyes, empty hands Now as well drunken and who’s the fool now? I saw man in the moon, I saw man in the moon, I saw man in the moon,
Dusting off the angels shoes Now as well drunken and who’s the fool now? She don’t know I’m drinking now,
She don’t know I let her down,
She don’t know I’m drinking now,
Don’t let my secret out
Now as well drunken and who’s the fool now?
2.
Bugbears 03:01
Who would believe what strange bugbears, 
Mankind creates itself of fears. 
That spring like fern that insect weed, 
Equivocally, without seed?
 And have no possible foundation,
 But merely in the imagination? 
And yet can do more dreadful feats
 Than hags, with all their imps and teats.

 Make more bewitch and haunt themselves,
 Than all their nurseries of elves.
 For fear does things so like a witch, Tis hard to unriddle which is which
3.
4.
Seven months she’s been married and all to her grief Seven months she’s been married but found no relief 
 Seven months she’s been married but still she’s a maid Oh she’s ruined, she’s ruined, she’s ruined Oh he comes to her bed almost every night, He calls her his treacle, and holds her too tight.
 The love that hangs on him like leaves on a tree,
 Oh she’s ruined, she’s ruined, she’s ruined Oh he brings her fine shoes with straps made of gold, 
And we all told her twice that he is too old.
 If she could do it again, she wouldn’t do it again, Oh she’s ruined, she’s ruined she’s ruined.

 Her father he gave her five acres of land, 
Her mother she gave her eight hundred pounds.
 But she will never more for the sake of a man, 
Oh she’s ruined, she’s ruined she’s ruined.

5.
Know this my dear, that heaven is here and all the clouds have gone,
 The righteous man shall flourish now, good days are coming on. A time may come to make us rue and time may set us free, Except the gallows, claim their due and hey then up go we. We’ll pull down universities where learning is professed, Because they practice and maintain the language of the beast. 
We’ll drive the doctors out of doors and all that learned be,
 We’ll cry all arts and learning down and hey then up go we. The name of lords shall be abhorred, because every man’s a brother, No reason why in church and state one man should rule another. But when the change of government shall set our fingers free, We’ll make those wanton sisters stoop and hey then up go we.
6.
The Owl 02:17
7.
Why should any man complain disturb his heart and brain at this new alteration,
 This being done’s no more then that’s been done before,
 And shall be done again, as long as there’s ambitious men,
 Who strive for domination. 

So we must indeed be made a starveling steed,
 For all in turn who will ride us,
 No matter who you pick, both ride with spur and switch, 
For they’ll not feed nor guide us. The wit which roots all things, pulls down and sets up kings, Will not presume to judge them.
 We stay fast at home, and heaven help the slack brained mome. 
 That thinks with right to gain his own, And from his living quickly thrown,
And was a fool to oppose them
8.
When sorcerers do leave their charm, And spiders do the fly no harm. 
And when the blackbird leaves to sing,
 And likewise serpents for to sting. And what is worse has turned to best, And crabs with swallows build their nests?
 And little bees shall castles bear,
 And fly so with them through the air. Then you may say aye and not ‘til then, 
The world is full of honest men.
 The you may say, aye and justly too
 The old world now is turned anew When snow falls back and crows be white,
 And all things that are wrong turn right. 
 When men with pearl do fatten hogs, 
And mewing cats do menace dogs.

 Where water burns and fire doth freeze,
 And oysters grow as fruit on trees.
 When darkness doth outshine the light,
 And snails surpass the arrow’s flight. Then you may say aye and not ‘til then,
 The world is full of honest men. 
The you may say, aye and justly too
 The old world now is turned anew When Lucifer an angel turns, 
And when in hell no fire burns.
 When men are prone to such good will, 
That they to no-one will do ill.
 When Westminster doth eastward stand, 
And touches neither sea nor land.
 And wherein you cannot see,
 A lawyer that will take his fee. 

Then you may say aye and not ‘til then,
 The world is full of honest men.
 The you may say, aye and justly too
 The old world now is turned anew.
9.
Hail the day so long expected, 
 Hail the year of full release. 
 Zion's walls are now erected, 
 And her watchmen publish peace. 
Through our Shiloh's wide dominion, 
 Hear the trumpet loudly roar, 
 Babylon is fallen to rise no more. 
Babylon is fallen, fallen, fallen 
 Babylon is fallen, to rise no more. 

 All her merchants stand with wonder, 
 What is this that comes to pass: 
Murm'ring like the distant thunder, 
Crying, "Oh alas, alas", 
Swell the sound, ye kings and nobles, 
 Priest and people, rich and poor; 
Babylon is fallen to rise no more. 

 Blow the trumpet in Mount Zion, 
 Christ shall come a second time; 
 Ruling with a rod of iron 
 All who now as foes combine. 
 Babel's garments we've rejected, 
And our fellowship is o'er, 
 Babylon is fallen to rise no more.
10.
You soldiers all that now are parted,
 From your true loves many a mile.
 That like me lie heavy hearted,
 Rest with me and talk awhile.
 Of the brightness sun and summer,
 When we two, our love did prove
 That some cheer I may discover, Though I live not wear I love In my sleep though yet when waking,
 Can I take a moments rest.
 But beware the fates for making, 
Love to stand so stern a test.
 Yet the token we divided, 
Through dark or day, I’ll never remove.
 Sustains my heart though comrades chided,
 While I live not where I love. The birds shall leave their airy region,
 And fishes in the air shall fly.
 The world shall be of one religion, 
All living things shall cease to die.
 The sea shall dry and stars extinguish,
 Before that I disloyal prove.
 Or for a moment’s hope I relinquish,
 Though I live not where I love.

 So though upon a darkened field,
 Of a far country now I lie.
 And though the march seems ever onward,
 Yet one day for peace I’ll cry.
 For Joy as homeward, I’ll be flying,
 To her warm arms my pain to soothe.
 And joined in love with joy loud crying,
 The will I live where I love.
11.
It’s of a bold astrologer in London town did dwell, 
At telling maidens fortunes, there’s none could him excel.
 There was a nice young serving girl, living there close by, 
She came one day to the astrologer just to have a try. I hear that you tell fortunes sir, would you tell me mine said she.
 Of course my dear without a doubt, if you’ll walk upstairs with me.
 To walk upstairs with you kind sir, I’m sure I am afraid.
 She spoke it with such modesty, as though she were a maid. To walk upstairs with me my dear you need not be afraid,
 Knowing it was but the other day you with your master laid,
 Then she starts to curse and swear, she would her master bring,
 As witness for both him and hear that it was no such thing.
 My pretty maid don’t swear and curse, you’ll make the deed the worse,
For the crown piece that he gave to you, you’ve got it in your purse.
 Oh indeed you can tell fortunes sir, you’ve told me mine said she,
 And out she pulled the crown piece, good morning sir said she.

12.
Where are your old soldiers with slashes and scars, That never used drinking in no time of wars.
 Nor shedding of blood in mad drunken jars And is not Old England grown new Where are your old swords, your bills and your bows,
 Your bucklers and targets that never feared blows, They are turned to stilettos and other fare shows.
 And is not Old England grown new. We have new fashioned beards and new fashioned locks,
 And new fashioned hats for our new painted blocks. And more new diseases besides the French Pox, 
And is not Old England grown new. New trickings new goings new measures new paces,
 New fashions new riches new power in new places.
 Puts old sneers and old scorn on a set of new faces
 And is not old England grown new?
13.

about

An album of songs from the English Civil Wars and seventeenth century to accompany The Violence.

I recently made an album called ‘The Violence’. It concerns itself with the East Anglian witch trials during the English Civil Wars. During my research I started to come across folk songs of the seventeenth century and Stuart era. Two such songs appear on that album: ‘When the King Enjoys His Own Again’ and ‘A Coffin for King Charles, A Crown for Cromwell and a Pit for the People’. 

I didn’t seek to achieve forensic detail when finding these songs, but was keen to have a sense of the flavour of the music of the era. As a side project to the album, I started to record and adapt some of the songs, and now they are collected here.
Consider this an accompanying volume to The Violence, a scene setter, a spin off.

Although I did a fair amount of research, these are not meant to be definitive or historical readings of the songs. I have revised, edited and even rewritten in places.

Thanks to Malcolm Taylor and the library at Cecil Sharp House, and the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Darren Hayman, February 2013.

fikarecordings.com/bugbears

Uncut [8/10]
NME [7/10]
Financial Times [4/5]
Record Collector [4/5]
Mojo [3/5]
Neon Filler [8/10]
More press highlights here: www.fikarecordings.com/bugbears/press/

credits

released July 15, 2013

The Short Parliament are 
Bill Botting
Dan Mayfield
Dave Watkins
David Tattersall
Johny Lamb

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