The Unquiet Grave - wikipedia The Unquiet Grave For the 1944 literary work by Cyril Connolly, see The Unquiet Grave ( book ). For the 1964 anthology edited by August Derleth, see The Unquiet Grave ( anthology ). `` The Unquiet Grave '' is an English folk song in which a young man mourns his dead love too hard and prevents her from obtaining peace. It is thought to date from 1400 and was collected in 1868 by Francis James Child, as Child Ballad number 78. One of the more common tunes used for the ballad is the same as that used for the English ballad `` Dives and Lazarus '' and the Irish pub favorite `` Star of the County Down ''. Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Variants 3 Recordings 4 References 5 External links Synopsis A man mourns his true love for `` a twelve month and a day ''. At the end of that time, the dead woman complains that his weeping is keeping her from peaceful rest. He begs a kiss. She tells him it would kill him. When he persists, wanting to join her in death, she explains that once they were both dead their hearts would simply decay, and that he should enjoy life while he has it. Variants The version noted by Cecil Sharp ends with `` When will we meet again ? / When the autumn leaves that fall from the trees / Are green and spring up again. '' Many verses in this ballad have parallels in other ballads : Bonny Bee Hom, Sweet William 's Ghost and some variants of The Twa Brothers. The motif that excessive grief can disturb the dead is found also in German and Scandinavian ballads, as well as Greek and Roman traditions. Ween plays a version featuring a woman weeping for a dead man, on their 1997 album The Mollusk entitled `` Cold Blows the Wind ''. The liner notes of the album misattributes the song as a traditional Chinese spiritual. Recordings The Romantic composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote several arrangements for `` How Cold the Wind doth Blow ( or The Unquiet Grave ) ''. The best known, from 1912, is for piano, violin and voice. It was recorded in 1976 by Sir Philip Ledger, Hugh Bean and Robert Tear. ( 1 ) It also appears on the 1989 recording Songs of Britten and Vaughan Williams by Canadian baritone Kevin McMillan. ( 2 ) Kate Rusby, Carol Noonan, Joan Baez, The Dubliners, Solas, Barbara Dickson, Shirley Collins, Circulus, David Pajo, Fire + Ice and Sarah Calderwood have recorded versions of this song. A single - movement viola concerto by Australian composer Andrew Ford used the melody of the ballad as its foundation. Written in 1997, the concerto is pieced together from melodic fragments of the ballad and it is only in the final few minutes that the full theme emerges. The Pennsylvania - based alternative rock band, Ween, recorded a version of the song ( retitled `` Cold Blows the Wind '' ) on their 1997 album, The Mollusk. The gothic / darkwave band Faith and the Muse recorded a version on their debut Elyria in 1994. It was recorded and released as a duet between Ian Read ( musician ) and Ysanne Spevack in 2000, distributed by Tesco in Germany, and pressed up on blue vinyl with a letterpress gatefold cover under the band name Fire + Ice. The folk - rock group Steeleye Span recorded a version on their 2009 album Cogs, Wheels and Lovers. Electro noir artist Alien Skin, formerly with Real Life ( of ' 80s `` Send Me An Angel '' fame ), recorded his version on the 2010 album The Unquiet Grave. Orcadian singer Kris Drever recorded a version of this song to music of his own on Lau 's album Lightweights and Gentlemen in 2009. The eleven - piece folk band Bellowhead recorded a cover of Ween 's version ( `` Cold Blows the Wind '' ) for their album, Hedonism in 2010. Electronic arrangement by Vladislav Korolev, sung by Lori Joachim Fredrics and premiered on April 13, 2013 The German electronica / darkwave band Helium Vola included a rendition on their 2013 album, Wohin ?. British folk singer / songwriter Elliott Morris included an arrangement of `` Unquiet Grave '' on his 2013 EP, Shadows and Whispers. British medieval folk - rock band Gryphon recorded their interpretation of the ballad using the Dives and Lazarus melody on their 1973 debut album Gryphon English progressive rock musician Steven Wilson recorded an arrangement of the song. It was the B - Side to `` Cover version IV '', one of a series of six singles, each consisting of a cover of a song written by another artist as the A-side, with the B - sides consisting of original songs ( with the exception of `` The Unquiet Grave '' ). The six cover versions and corresponding B - sides were released together on a compilation album, Cover Version, in 2014. Part of the song was performed by Helen McCrory in the Penny Dreadful episode `` Fresh Hell '', and again by Sarah Greene in `` And They Were Enemies ''. The Ghosts Of Johnson City recorded a version of the song for their 2015 album Am I Born To Die ? Daoirí Farrell recorded a version of the song on his 2016 album `` True Born Irishman '' References Jump up ^ Francis James Child, Scottish and English Popular Ballads, `` The Unquiet Grave '' Jump up ^ Cecil J. Sharp ( Ed ) ( 1975 ) One Hundred English Folksongs ( For Medium Voice ), Dover, ISBN 0 - 486 - 23192 - 5 Jump up ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 2, p 234, Dover Publications, New York 1965 Jump up ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 2, p 234 - 6, Dover Publications, New York 1965 Jump up ^ https://www.discogs.com/Death-In-June-Fire-Ice-We-Said-Destroy/release/1375947 External links Wikisource has original text related to this article : The Unquiet Grave Variants and images of old broadsides can be found at Joe Offer 's copy of the folkinfo archive. Francis James Child The Child Ballads Alan - a-Dale Sir Aldingar Alison and Willie Allison Gross Andrew Lammie Archie o Cawfield Kinmont Willie Armstrong Auld Matrons Babylon The Baffled Knight The Bailiff 's Daughter of Islington Barbara Allen The Battle of Otterburn The Beggar - Laddie Adam Bell The Bent Sae Brown Bessy Bell and Mary Gray Blancheflour and Jollyflorice The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Bonnie Annie The Bonnie Earl O ' Moray Bonnie George Campbell Bonny Baby Livingston Bonny Bee Hom The Bonny Birdy The Bonny Hind The Bonnie House of Airlie The Bonny Lass of Anglesey Bonny Lizie Baillie The Boy and the Mantle Broom of the Cowdenknowes The Broomfield Hill Broughty Wa 's Brown Adam The Brown Girl Brown Robin Brown Robyn 's Confession Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane Burd Isabel and Earl Patrick Captain Ward and the Rainbow Captain Wedderburn 's Courtship The Carnal and the Crane The Cherry - Tree Carol The Ballad of Chevy Chase Child Maurice Child Owlet Child Waters Christopher White Clerk Colvill Clerk Saunders The Clerk 's Twa Sons o Owsenford The Crafty Farmer Crow and Pie The Cruel Brother The Cruel Mother The Daemon Lover The Death of Parcy Reed The Death of Queen Jane Dick o the Cow Dives and Lazarus The Dowie Dens o Yarrow Dugall Quin The Duke of Athole 's Nurse The Duke of Gordon 's Daughter Earl Brand Earl Crawford The Earl of Errol The Earl of Mar 's Daughter Earl Rothes Edom o Gordon Edward The Elfin Knight Eppie Morrie Erlinton Fair Annie The Fair Flower of Northumberland Fair Janet Fair Margaret and Sweet William Fair Mary of Wallington The False Lover Won Back The Famous Flower of Serving - Men The Farmer 's Curst Wife Fause Foodrage The Fause Knight Upon the Road The Friar in the Well The Gardener The Gay Goshawk Geordie The George Aloe and the Sweepstake A Gest of Robyn Hode Get Up and Bar the Door Gil Brenton Glasgerion Glasgow Peggie Glenlogie The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry The Grey Cock Gude Wallace Guy of Gisbourne The Raggle Taggle Gypsy Battle of Harlaw The Heir of Linne Hind Etin Hind Horn Hobie Noble Hughie Graham James Hatley Jamie Douglas Jellon Grame Jock o ' the Side Jock the Leg and the Merry Merchant John Dory John of Hazelgreen Johnie Cock Johnie Scot Johnnie Armstrong The Jolly Beggar The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield Judas Katharine Jaffray The Keach i the Creel Kemp Owyne Kempy Kay King Arthur and King Cornwall King Edward the Fourth and a Tanner of Tamworth King Estmere King Henry King Henry Fifth 's Conquest of France King John and the Bishop The King 's Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood The King 's Dochter Lady Jean Lang Johnny More The Kitchie - Boy The Knight and the Shepherd 's Daughter The Knight 's Ghost The Knoxville Girl The Lads of Wamphray Lady Alice Lady Diamond Lady Elspat Lady Isabel Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight Lady Maisry The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea The Laird o Drum The Laird o Logie Lamkin The Lass of Roch Royal Leesome Brand Sir Lionel Little John a Begging Lizie Lindsay Lizie Wan The Lochmaben Harper Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet Lord Lovel Lord Maxwell 's Last Goodnight The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward Lord Randall Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie Lord Thomas and Fair Annet Lord Thomas and Lady Margaret Lord Thomas Stuart Lord William The Maid and the Palmer The Maid Freed from the Gallows The Marriage of Sir Gawain Mary Hamilton Matty Groves The Mermaid The Mother 's Malison The New - Slain Knight The Noble Fisherman Northumberland Betrayed By Douglas Old Robin of Portingale Sir Orfeo Percy Folio Prince Heathen Prince Robert Proud Lady Margaret Queen Elanor 's Confession The Queen of Elfan 's Nourice The Queen of Scotland The Rantin Laddie Redesdale and Wise William Richie Story Riddles Wisely Expounded Robin Hood and Allan - a-Dale Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne Robin Hood and Little John Robin Hood and Maid Marian Robin Hood and Queen Katherine Robin Hood and the Beggar Robin Hood and the Bishop Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford Robin Hood and the Butcher Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow Robin Hood and the Monk Robin Hood and the Pedlars Robin Hood and the Potter Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon Robin Hood and the Ranger Robin Hood and the Scotchman Robin Hood and the Shepherd Robin Hood and the Tanner Robin Hood and the Tinker Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight Robin Hood Newly Revived Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly Robin Hood 's Birth, Breeding, Valor, and Marriage Robin Hood 's Chase Robin Hood 's Death Robin Hood 's Delight Robin Hood 's Golden Prize Robin Hood 's Progress to Nottingham Robyn and Gandeleyn The Rose of England Rose the Red and White Lily Saint Stephen and Herod Sheath and Knife Sir Cawline Sir James the Rose Sir Patrick Spens The Suffolk Miracle The Sweet Trinity Sweet William 's Ghost Tam Lin Thomas o Yonderdale Thomas the Rhymer The Three Ravens Tom Potts A True Tale of Robin Hood The Twa Brothers The Twa Magicians The Twa Sisters The Unquiet Grave Walter Lesly The Wee Wee Man The West Country Damosel 's Complaint The White Fisher The Whummil Bore The Wife of Usher 's Well The Wife Wrapt in Wether 's Skin Will Stewart and John Willie and Earl Richard 's Daughter Willie and Lady Maisry Willie o Douglas Dale Willie o Winsbury Willie 's Fatal Visit Willie 's Lady Willie 's Lyke - Wake The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie Young Andrew Young Beichan Young Benjie The Young Earl of Essex 's Victory over the Emperor of Germany Young Hunting Young Johnstone Young Peggy Young Ronald Young Waters Operas Il pesceballo Related List of the Child Ballads `` The Crabfish '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Unquiet_Grave&oldid=808104748 '' Categories : Child Ballads Fictional ghosts Joan Baez songs Year of song unknown Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015 Talk Variants Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 31 October 2017, at 22 : 27. 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Question: what type of poem is the unquiet grave
Answer: Ballad