(note by Elisabeth Higgins Null with Charles H. Baum)
Peggy's version of this eerie Mother Goose tale comes from the singing of Edith Harman of eastern Tennessee, whose "Who Killed Poor Robin?" can be found on one of the Library of Congress Field Recordings (LC AAFS 2907 A2, 1939). Accompanied by her banjo, with just a touch of dulcimer and psaltery, Peggy sings the song as if it were an incantation: low, solemn, straightforward, and with few vocal dynamics, with Irene an octave higher like a shadow in the distance. The result evokes mysterious associations that reach far back into cultural memory.
The first published version of 'Who Killed Cock Robin' appeared in Tommy Thumb's (Pretty) Song Book, 2 vol. (London, 1744) and is thought by those who seek covert political messages in nursery rhymes to allude to the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole, England's de facto prime minister during the reign of George II. Certainly the linkages between satire and the song are strong, and they continue from Thomas Moore and Lord Byron onwards to the present day. Consider Bob Dylan's loosely patterned 'Who Killed Davey Moore?' or the more faithfully constructed ' Who Killed Norma Jean?''as sung by Pete Seeger, who set his own tune to Norman Rosten's words about the death of Marilyn Monroe. Less well-known versifiers have reworked 'Who Killed Cock Robin' for their own purposes. Mrs. Eileen O'Neil Ball submitted a parody to the Boston Globe (December 16, 1965) after her brother, John B. O'Neil had been murdered in a spate of gangland slayings. (Bruce Jackson ''Bitter Parody of Cock Robin," Western Folklore, Vol 27, 1968, p. 52). Calling for justice, she concludes:
Who demanded action?
'I said the state,
'Thirty murders too late,
I demanded action.'
Most modern updates of the song focus on the direct or indirect complicity of each participant in an act of wrong-doing, whereas more traditional versions, such as the one sung by Peggy, start with an acknowledgement of responsibility and proceed to enumerate all the roles to be played in a communal ritual: the funeral process. The emphasis is less upon who did the wrong than on the processes involved in taking care of the victim. As folklorist Mia Boynton points out, 'Who Killed Cock Robin' is a song about collective decision-making and action (conversation, August 2, 2006). Each living creature volunteers to do its part.
In the last verse, the wren says she will 'weep and mourn' and that her 'grief will never end.' This touches upon the age-old romantic association between Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren whose wedding has also been the theme both for nursery rhymes and for medieval narratives. On occasion, 'The Courtship and Marriage of Cock Robin' is grafted onto the 'Death of Cock Robin' (an alternative title to 'Who Killed Cock Robin'') and this merger becomes a sort of avian mini-epic . In a merged picture-book version, the wedding feast ends in a melee after a cuckoo takes liberties with the bride. The sparrow shoots Robin with his bow and arrow by mistake in trying to avenge or protect Jenny Wren. This provides a motive for the homicide and may add psychological nuance, but it also robs the rhyme of that stark, archetypal quality Peggy captures in her singing.
Another suggestion about the origins of Cock Robin, comes from the classicist J. Rendel Harris as reviewed by H.J. Rose ('Origin and Meaning of Apple Cults,' The Classical Review, Vol. 34, 1920, pp. 172-173). Both authors associate the 'Death of Cock Robin' with sacrificial rituals connected with St. Stephen's Day in Ireland and archaic forms of yuling or wassailing the apple trees in England. Occasionally, in England, a boy ascends the apple tree, makes chirping noises, and calls for food—a request met by offerings of bread, cheese, and cider. The tree is apt to be attacked and real birds may be willfully killed in the process. A children's game or play-party, found in England and America, is quoted to underscore the connection between the death of a bird and the life of the apple tree:
Old Robin is dead and in his grave,
There grew an old apple tree over his head
Alan Lomax enlarges upon the relationship between birds and sacrifice in his own discussion of Cock Robin in The Folk Songs of North America (New York: 1960):
The roots of Cock Robin probably go back to Nordic myths about the ritual murder of the bringer of fire and the spring; for the robin or the wren was often sacrificed in European renewal-of-the-year ceremonies. (p. 169)
He adds to this a broader psychoanalytic rumination about popular taste among Anglo and Anglo-Americans. In referring to the 'The Frog's Courtship' (Froggie Would A-Wooing Go) as well as 'Who Killed Cock Robin,' Lomax says the following:
Of the two best children's ballads in English, the first is the story of an animal wedding in which all the animal guests are killed and eaten, the second begins at an inquest and goes on to a funeral; nor is this strange when one considers the blood-stained stanzas of the Anglo-American ballads beloved of adults. In our culture, children, like their parents, have a passionate relish for violence in nursery rhymes, cowboy pictures, comic books, murder mysteries, etc. Oppressed, humiliated, denied, bullied, and talked down to by a race of strong giants, their fancies have naturally run to violence and death. In their dreams they have revenged themselves and in their nightmares they have been punished for their guilty thoughts. (pp. 168-169)
Peggy own speculations show a more historical frame of mind: does Robin Redbreast refer to Robin Hood or to William Rufus (William ll), the ruddy and red-headed second son of William the Conqueror, killed in a hunting accident in New Forest? The correlation of the bird Robin with the outlaw Robin seems to hinge on little more than a shared name. The linkages between Robin and William Rufus, however, are supported by a persistent belief among England's West Country inhabitants that the song in fact refers to the fatal incident. Without more textual and archeological evidence, the song's origins seem to impossible to track through the mists of time. Regardless of its past meanings, it remains primal on a deeply human level as Peggy's performance so powerfully demonstrates.
lyrics
11 WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?
traditional USA
from the singing of Edith Harmon, East Tennessee, with added verses
5-string banjo tuning: Key of Fm; 5th: high F; 4th: low C; 3rd: low F; 2nd: low Bb; lst: middle C
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the sparrow
With my little bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.
Who saw him die?
I, said the fly,
With my little beady eye,
I saw him die.
Who caught his blood?
I, said the fish,
In my little silver dish,
I caught his blood.
Who will sew his shroud?
I, said the beetle,
With my little threaded needle,
I will sew his shroud.
Who will dig his grave?
I, said the crow,
With my little spade and hoe,
I will dig his grave.
Who will be the parson?
I, said the lark,
If it isn't after dark,
I will be the parson.
Who will carry the torch?
I, said the linnet,
I will fetch it in a minute,
I will carry the torch.
Who will haul him there?
I, said the bull,
Because I can pull,
I will haul him there.
Who will lay him in?
I, said the crane,
And I hope it doesn't rain,
I will lay him in.
Who will pat his grave?
I, said the bat
And I'll make it smooth and flat
I will pat his grave.
Who will sing his song?
I, said the swallow,
Just as loud as I can holler,
I will sing his song.
Who will weep and mourn?
I, said the wren,
My grief will never end,
I will weep and mourn.
Peggy is one of the most influential folk singers on either side of the Atlantic. She is Pete Seeger’s half-sister and Ruth
Crawford Seeger’s daughter; her first life partner was the English songwriter Ewan MacColl, who wrote First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for her. She has made more than 22 solo recordings to date. Please check ewanmaccoll.bandcamp.com for other albums featuring Peggy....more
supported by 4 fans who also own “Who Killed Cock Robin”
There's a similarity in song writing between Richard Thompson and Hugh Cornwell which maybe isn't surprising as they went to the same school at the same time, although Thompson is older.
Due to Thompson's association with John French of Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band I searched for his work on the Bandcamp app. French, Thompson and Cornwell all have albums on the app which I'm very pleased about. Only Thompson has released contemporary albums, much to his credit. yellowcakeuf6
supported by 4 fans who also own “Who Killed Cock Robin”
Three of the most talented folk/roots/acoustic artists currently at the very top of their game. Spoiler alert; is Spanish Lady actually about Catherine of Aragon or have I been reading too much Hilary Mantel? ***** bass_campdelta
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
