Oak and Ash and Thorn

This song began as a poem by English poet Rudyard Kipling, published under the title "A Tree Song" in *Puck of Pook's Hill* (1906). The text was set to music and renamed to "Oak, Ash and Thorn" by storied English folksinger Peter Bellamy, released on his album of the same name in 1970. In the liner notes of the album, Bellamy wrote:

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> Kipling entitled this poem A Tree Song, and it is to be found in the story Weland's Sword. Both the tale and the song set the mood and pattern for all the stories and poems which follow. The tune is intended to recall those of some of the old wassail and ritual songs.
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As with many songs contained in *Puck of Pook's Hill*, the theme of opposition to rule prevails.

The song occurs frequently in The Longest Johns' livestreams, with  JD on the old stringy-planky. It was released as track 8 on Cures What Ails Ya.

On 15 March 2020, JD did a solo livestream wherein he taught some guitar basics and two ways of playing the song on guitar, one simplified version in standard tuning, and one version in the original DADGAD tuning. The stream is available to watch here, and the printed lyrics and chords are available here.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams; the original lyrics can be found here.

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> Of all the trees that grow so fair, old England to adorn
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> Greater are none beneath the sun than oak and ash and thorn
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> {Chorus}
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> Sing oak and ash and thorn, good sirs
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> All on a midsummer's morn
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> Surely we'll sing of no little thing
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> In oak and ash and thorn
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> Yew that is old, in churchyard mould, he breedeth a mighty bow
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> Alder for shoes do wise men choose, and Beech for cups also
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> But when you have killed, and your bowl it is filled, and your shoes are clean outworn
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> Back you must speed for all that you need to oak and ash and thorn
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> {Chorus x2}
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> Elm, she hates mankind and waits 'til every gust be laid
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> To drop a limb on the head of him that anyway trusts her shade
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> But whether a lad be sober or sad, or mellow with ale from the horn
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> He'll take no wrong when he lyeth along 'neath oak and ash and thorn
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> {Chorus x2}
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> Oh, do not tell the priest our plight, for he would call it a sin
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> But we've been out in the woods all night, a-conjuring summer in
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> We bring you good news by word of mouth, good news for cattle and corn
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> Sure as the sun come up from the south, by oak and ash and thorn
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> {Chorus x4}
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## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Amazon Music (Commodore 1864 version)
* Apple Music/iTunes (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Apple Music/iTunes (Commodore 1864 version)
* Bandcamp (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Deezer (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Deezer (Commodore 1864)
* Pandora (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Pandora (Commodore 1864 version)
* Spotify (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Spotify (Commodore 1864 version)

#### YouTube Videos

* Music Video
* Commodore 1864 Version

#### Gig Videos

* Teign Shanty Festival, Teignmouth (2019)
* Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival (2019)
* Shrewsbury Folk Festival (27 Aug 2021)
* Old Songs (25 Feb 2022)
* Le Poisson Rouge, NYC (27 Feb 2022)
* Exeter Phoenix (26 April 2022)
* The Wickham Festival (05 Aug 2022)
* The Studio at the Factory - Dallas, TX (23 Nov 2022)
* Jimmy's - Liverpool (9 Dec 2022)
* Cursus Festival 2023

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns Impromptu Singing Stream! (17 Nov 2018)
* Surviving the first month of 2019 with The Longest Johns!!! (New donation system) (30 Jan 2019)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, March. w/Sam Brookes (22 Mar 2019)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, April. w/Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith (30 Apr 2019)
* Singing Live Stream and Special Announcement... (7 Aug 2019)
* Spooktober Spectacular and Farewell to Anna Livestream (30 Oct 2019)
* TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
* The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
* It's a stream! A Live stream! With The Longest Johns! (13 May 2020)
* Welcome to the Live Stream, We've got Fun and Sings! (22 Jul 2020)
* 100k Subscriber Thank You Stream (19 Aug 2020)
* I Stream, You Stream, We all Scream for Live Stream (20 Jan 2021)
* Sweet Streams are Made of This (In the Studio) (17 Mar 2021)
* Amazing Technicolor Stream-coat!! (7 Jul 2021)
* Stream of Mushroom Soup (A day early to fit around touring) (23 Nov 2021)
* Blue Stream of Death! (29 Jun 2022)
* Stream me up Scotty! (23 Aug 2022)
* Jingle Jam 2022 (10 Dec 2022)
* Sega Streamcast (15 Feb 2023)
* A Midsummer Nights Stream (5 Jul 2023)
* Jingle Jam 2023 | Day 4 (4 Dec 2023)
* JINGLE JAM DAY 8! The Longest Johns Live Jingle Jam Concert (8 Dec 2023)

#### Chill Streams

* JD and Andy Chilltime - 03/02/2020
* Welcome to Chilltown with Andy and JD (23 Mar 2020)
* We all get songs in Chillbury Town! With Andy and JD - 06/04/2020
* Roll on down to Chillbury Town with Andy & JD - 04/05/2020

#### Gaming streams

* Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Marathon for Charity : Part 2 (24 Jun 2020)
* Sea of Sings. Tonight we hit the high C's... - 10/07/2020
* I like big boats and I cannot lie - 17/08/2020
* 4 Sloops 4 Furious - 04/09/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 14/09/2020
* Sing! Sail! Support friends! - 18/09/2020
* It's boat time! Sea of Sings! - 21/09/2020
* SHANT! - 02/10/2020
* Singing you say? On the sea you say? Sea of Sings! - 12/10/2020
* Sailing, Wailing and Failing with Captain Falcore! - 19/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! Let's Shant! With Kharites & TeachCourage! - 23/10/2020
* DROPS! Sea of Sings! with BehavingBeardly! SHANT! - 30/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with AsylumGC8! SHANT! - 31/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with Spammals! SHANT! - 1/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! with Captain\_Falcore! SHANT! - 2/11/2020
* Full Friendship followed by Battle Royale! - 23/11/2020
* Sea of Joviality with KroTukk and KHARITES\_ - 28/11/2020
* Sea of Hijinks with Freyline - 29/11/2020
* Welcome to the Shantdome! - 4/12/2020
* Let's do pirate stuff - 12/12/2020
* Jingle Drops Jingle Drops - 15/12/2020
* Boo! Surprise Sea of Sings! - 21/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Yarr? - 01/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Azuki and HappyKrakenX - 08/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Let's get splashy! - 12/02/2021
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream (31 Mar 2021)
* Sea of Sings - It's boat time - 22/02/2021
* Shanties?!?! On the sea?!?! Why yes it is... With Krotukk and Kharites\_ - 02/04/2021
* How many pirates does it take to change THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS WE KNOW IT?!? - 07/05/2021
* Safe and sound at home again, let the waters roar, chat! - 24/05/2021
* Roll on up, roll on down. We all get songs in Streaming Town - 31/05/2021
* Sea of Sings! Lets hope the internet is fixed... - 19/07/2021
* Pirate stuff GO! - 24/09/2021