A.k.a. Thomas the Rhymer, Thomas Rymer; Child 37.
The text of this ballad is a bit frustrating; there’s a lot there, but there seems to be an awful lot missing. (What was it like for Thomas not to be able to speak while he was in Elfland – or not to be able to lie once he got back?)
The tune I’m using is based on Ewan MacColl’s recording; the text is Child, but anglicised and reordered a bit. The accompaniment… I wasn’t going to have accompaniment on these songs, was I? That’s New Year resolutions for you. The accompaniment is a bit more creative than I usually get; I was listening to Spiritualized in between recording it, which gave me a renewed appreciation of the uses of drones. For once the drumming’s come out quite well, too.
Fifty-Two Folk Songs 