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Down By The Greenwood Side

by Jackie Putnam

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“Down By The Greenwood Side” is folklore murder ballad about a woman who gave birth to two illegitimate children in the woods, kills them, and buries them. On her return trip home, she sees children playing, and says that if they were hers, she would dress them up in silk so fine and take care of them. The children tell her that when they were hers, she murdered and buried them under a marblestone.
My grandmother sang “Down By The Greenwood Side” to me when I was 10 years old and I never forgot her words. I added the music to “Down By The Greenwood Side” when I was 14 years old and in 2020, I recorded my version in the studio. I then did some research to find out if there was an author and I found different versions of the song.
Harrison Birtwistle composed “Down By The Greenwood Side” for the opera and it was first performed on May 8, 1969 at the Festival Pavillion, West Pier, Brighton. The text comes from two sources, a ballad called “The Cruel Mother” and “Mummers’ Plays” (folk plays of the English countryside).
I found similar folklore versions:
In 1963, Ian & Sylvia, Canadian folk and country singers, recorded “The Greenwood Sidie”
In 1964, Judy Collins recorded the “Cruel Mother” and this song is also known as “The Greenwood Side”
In 1967, Joan Baez recorded “The Greenwood Side”
In 1967 Peggy Seeger recorded “The Cruel Mother”.
1979 Nana Mouskouri recorded “Down By The Greenwood Side” and is a similar version to Joan Baez.
2020 I recorded “Down By The Greenwood Side” the way my grandmother sang to me.

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released June 16, 2020
Music - Jackie Putnam
Arrangement of Lyrics - Lilly McCully Mills

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Jackie Putnam Debert, Nova Scotia

Jackie Putnam, a country-pop sensation from Debert, Nova Scotia, is thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of her highly anticipated debut album, “The Phoenix” which will be released as a double A-side that features two new-hit singles, “Hurt” and “A Church With No People” – available now! ... more

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