Henry's Songbook

All the husbands and the wives
We were dancing for our lives
All to the tune of Elsie Marley
Instead of gathering up our differences
And throwing them in the air
And giving them to the wind that shakes the barley

And the children they were watching
Every girl and every boy
As we danced to the tune of Elsie Marley
But they'd heard another tune
From the harvest of the moon
That rides upon the wind that shakes the barley

The Bridget she declared
That she was not prepared
To watch us dance to the tune of Elsie Marley
She said I'll sing you all a song
And you'll want to sing along
If you listen to the wind that shakes the barley

          And the song that she sang
          Could be heard for miles around
          The air was full of harmony
          You should have heard the sound
          As we gathered up our differences
          And threw them in the air
          And gave them to the wind that shakes the barley

All the husbands and the wives
We were dancing for our lives
All to the tune of Elsie Marley
Until we gathered up our differences
And threw them in the air
And gave them to the wind that shakes the barley

Then all of us declared
That we were not prepared
To dance our lives away with Elsie Marley
For we'd heard another tune
From the harvest of the moon
That rides upon the wind that shakes the barley

          And the song that she sang
          Could be heard for miles around
          The air was full of harmony
          You should have heard the sound
          As we gathered up our differences
          And threw them in the air
          And gave them to the wind that shakes the barley

As sung by Steeleye Span

[1996:] Brighid was a major pagan goddess throughout the Celtic lands. Brigantia, which once comprised most of the North of England was named after her. Elsewhere in Europe she was known as Brigan or Brig. Her other names include Brigid, Brigit, Brid and Bride. By any of these names she represents the triple goddess, i.e. the Maid, the Mother and the Crone. As the Moon goddess she personified its various phases, and her attributes were enchantment, ripeness and wisdom. To the Irish she was the goddess of fertility, inspiration and healing. Around 520 A.D. supposedly lived St. Bridget of Kildare, who became a Christianised version of all the pagan Bridgets that went before her. In this song she represents the re-emerging goddess of the feminine principle in mankind; bringing harmony and healing to all our troubled relationships. (Peter Knight, notes Steeleye Span, 'Time')

See also
Harvest of the Moon
About Elsie Marley