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The Unquiet Grave by Rebsie [Email]

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 2086
Comments: 27
Votes: 19
Plays: 485
Last Played: Sep 22, 2008 - 05:17:21 PM
Downloads: 123
Fans: 8
Uploaded: Nov 29, 2004 - 07:22:59 PM
Last Updated: Nov 29, 2004 - 06:13:25 PM
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Description:
An English folk song dating back to medieval times in one form or another ... it's a slightly creepy song about talking to the dead, but is essentially about loss and not knowing when to let go. I've tried to give it a modern setting but stuck firmly on its folky roots.

Lyrics:
Cold blows the wind to my true love
And gently drops the rain
I only had but one true love
In greenwood he lies slain
I'll do as much for my true love
As any young maid may
I'll sit and mourn all on his grave
For twelve months and one day

When twelve months and one day was past
The ghost began to speak
Why sit you here all on my grave
And will not let me sleep?
There's one thing that I want, sweetheart
There's one thing that I crave
And that is a kiss from your lily white lips
Then I'll go from your grave

My lips they are as cold as the clay
My breath smells earthly strong
And if you kiss my cold grey lips
Your days they won't be long
Go fetch me water from the desert
And blood from out of a stone
Go fetch me the milk from a fair maid's breast
A young man never has known

'Twas down in yonder garden
Where you and I would walk
The fairest flower that ever I saw
Is withered to a stalk
The stalk is withered and dry, sweetheart
And the flower will never return
And since I lost my own true love
What can I do but yearn?

When shall we meet again, sweetheart
When shall we meet again?
When the oaken leaves that fall from the trees
Are green and spring up again
Weep not for me my own true love
Mourn not for me, I pray
But make yourself content my love
Till God calls you away

Hardware:
Apple Mac G5, iMic, M-Audio Keystation 49e. Peavey microphone and Yamaha semi-acoustic 12-string guitar.

Software:
Just GarageBand.
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Very well done &mdash 11/30/04 - 10:46:56 AM
I havn't heard the original, but your version is very good.
You have an excellent voice, and I thought the acoustic
guitar was a very good touch. I wasn't sure about the club
beat at first, but it seemed to fit after a while.

Nicely done!

[ Reply to This ]
Very well done &mdash 11/30/04 - 04:37:26 PM
Thank you so much. This is my first attempt at a 'proper' song in
GarageBand and you're the first person to comment, so I really
appreciate your nice remarks.

I didn't originally plan to use a club beat, but when I tried that one (a
default Apple loop) it seemed to fit the song just right - it's got that
slightly unsettling edge to it.

Rebsie

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One Of My Favorite Songs &mdash 11/30/04 - 05:39:19 PM
Ween does this as "Cold Blows the Wind." Love their
version. You bring it back to a Celtic style, but I would
have to say I didn't like the beat. The strings and synth
work for me, but not the beat.

I also like some of Ween's version to the lyrics better, but
like you said, it's a traditional, so go to town.

I do like hearing a woman sing it. You did a nice job.

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One Of My Favorite Songs &mdash 02/28/05 - 06:36:51 AM
Thank you! I haven't heard Ween's version - I shall try to look out for it.

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Great Job &mdash 12/01/04 - 07:24:18 AM
Very good first effort. Good singing (love the accent).
Didn't like the beat (except at the end when you changed
it up a bit. I also think it would sound better with some
more low end to it like bass or low strings. Keep them
coming.

JG



[ Reply to This ]
Great Job &mdash 12/02/04 - 04:48:54 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I did wonder about putting some bass in it but I
was afraid of making the song too cluttered. Maybe I'll experiment with it
some time and see what it sounds like.

I'm flattered that you like my accent! I'm one of an apparently small
number of British MacJammers, so that's my natural voice.

Rebsie

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A great version &mdash 12/01/04 - 08:33:06 AM
I'm very familiar with two other versions of this folk song, one by Gryphon and one by Jah Wobble. Both versions are really good and set a very high standard so you've done amazingly well to make this your own but without destroying the basic charm of the original tune. I really like the acoustic guitar (also rated highly by a previous MacJammer) and the spooky extra vocal bits are extremely effective and atmospheric. And to add to the 'beat debate', I think it fits rather well. A fantastic job, particularly as it's your first proper song in GarageBand.

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A great version &mdash 12/02/04 - 05:34:15 AM
Well thanks very much Mr Gibbon, I'm glad somebody else likes the beat!
I know and love both the versions you mention - they're both quite
proggy and unconventional.

Rebsie

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Excellent &mdash 12/01/04 - 09:07:16 AM
This is ephemeral, bittersweet, ghostly and exceedingly
well conceived. I love the beat; obviously modern, yet
reminiscent of hand held Celtic drumming. It drops out
rather suddenly, however, which calls attention to it in a
negative way; and toward the end the guitar doesn't sync
to it all the way, which is also disconcerting. But your use
of instruments, synth and real, is wonderful. Delicate and
very well done.

[ Reply to This ]
Excellent &mdash 12/02/04 - 05:45:21 AM
Thank you, I do appreciate your nice comments.

Yeah, the guitar is a bit out of sync in places, sorry about that. I'm not a
great guitar player - I just paddle around in the strings and hope for the
best!

Rebsie

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Wow - some debut! &mdash 12/01/04 - 07:42:51 PM
This is nice. Haven't heard any other versions but this seems to work well. The vocals pan a bit left to right and back not sure that works completely but the voice is great and the mix very nice. Sandy Dennyish. But maybe if you sang in a bucket? (sorry..read the bio! lol)

[ Reply to This ]
Wow - some debut! &mdash 02/28/05 - 06:42:13 AM
Whoops - I didn't realise the vocals had a panning effect on them until
you mentioned it! Must have been part of a preset I was fiddling with. I'm
very pleased you mentioned Sandy Denny, as she's a great source of
inspiration to me.
Thanks for visiting!

[ Reply to This ]
crikey . . . &mdash 12/05/04 - 03:56:08 PM
hello, i thought i'd come and check out your work . . .
you've got some skills going on over here !
. . . this is fantastic !
i've never heard any version of this song before . . .
( but i did see jah wobble in the chelsea arts club
the last time i was there, don't you know )
i'm constantly amazed how garageband can enable
me to create something resembling a song . . .
( i have little musical ability )
. . . but when you hear someone using it who does
have talent, it can blow you away . . .

nice one

lye

[ Reply to This ]
crikey . . . &mdash 02/28/05 - 06:47:53 AM
Thank you ever so much for your lovely comments. I'm a big fan of Jah
Wobble but I haven't managed to catch him in concert yet ... he doesn't
do many gigs in my neck of the woods. Nobody else does either, come to
think of it.

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Very Cool &mdash 12/06/04 - 10:27:44 PM
I'm glad you decided to share this with us. I really like the
instrumental finish here. I think the beat works
wonderfully here. Other times I went back and forth on
that, but overall it helps pull it into the "modern". Keep
'em coming.

[ Reply to This ]
Very Cool &mdash 02/28/05 - 06:50:52 AM
Thanks Ka-klick! I hope to do a few more modern arrangements like this,
and hopefully some more 'traditional' ones too.

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Lovely &mdash 05/09/05 - 04:44:02 AM
I'm such a big fan of all of your songs. Can't believe I
missed this one! Your mesmerising voice always keeps me
100% keyed into what you're singing. I love when I can
lost in lyrics and voice -- just makes for a great listening
experience. I put my headphones on for this one and I'll
admit that the back and forth panning was a little
distracting, but that's easily fixed, I'm sure. All in all, a
wonderful job. I always look forward to your work.

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Lovely &mdash 05/09/05 - 08:57:48 AM
Thank you for that, Joanna! The panning is an unwanted side effect of
the Ambient Vocals preset in GarageBand ... but I've subsequently
worked out how to turn it off! Sorry if it made your head spin. Your
support is greatly appreciated, as always.

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Really Liked this song! &mdash 07/31/05 - 03:36:55 PM
This song really kept my attention

Nice Guitar Playing and singing

very cool background effects too!

[ Reply to This ]
Really Liked this song! &mdash 08/24/05 - 03:24:36 PM
Glad you like it! I've recently done a reworking of it with Mandolinquent, with
added slide guitar and mandolin ...

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Oh wow, this is good. &mdash 09/20/05 - 06:14:35 AM
I remember this song. It took me a bit since it's been a bit
since I last heard it. I like what you've done with it.

[ Reply to This ]
Oh wow, this is good. &mdash 09/21/05 - 08:24:01 AM
Thanks very much, Dwayne, it's appreciated!

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Proper song &mdash 12/29/05 - 01:44:56 PM
Your first attempt at a proper song - jeez, you certainly succeeded.

This is so haunting, and I love the use of the dance beat under this, it gives the song a little heartbeat.

Beautiful use of the instruments too, so that they support the lovely vocal.

Just beautiful

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&mdash 03/02/07 - 02:25:10 PM
Thank you Steve! That's a lovely thing to say. I'm a big fan of your talents so it's a great compliment.

Looking back on it, it's quite weird that at the time I recorded this I didn't even know I could sing. It's been quite a voyage of discovery over the last couple of years!

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Oh, god, that made me cry &mdash 03/02/07 - 01:05:52 PM
That is so hearbreakingly beautiful.

I know it's not the same, but i recently lost my cat that i had since i was 24, she was nearly 15 years old, and it happened very unexpectedly.

So when i listen to this now, it really gives me a pang.

I haven't even been able to go out to her grave, i've only been out a few times. I just can't accept the fact that she is gone.

But even if i hadn't lost my cat, i would still find this song absolutely beautiful.

This is so powerful, i am just crying.

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&mdash 03/02/07 - 02:20:22 PM
Awww! I'm really sorry to hear about your cat. We lost one of ours a few months ago so I know just how you feel. They leave such a huge hole in your life, don't they?

I'm glad the song reaches you emotionally anyway, that's the object of the exercise! I have since done a new version of this with better vocals and more instruments.

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SO.. &mdash 03/03/07 - 10:00:39 PM
I thought I'd check out your first song on here.IS beautiful - don't often hear folk mixed with such modern sounds,not that works so well as this anyway.Ever heard of a band called 'Baka Beyond?'.Did I ever tell you that one of the first songs I ever busked up in Scotland was 'The Jug O' Punch' - I bought 'Island Angel' while I was up there and loved that song.Any way - I really enjoyed that,thanks!

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