Early One Morning

Early one morning,Just as the sun was rising,I heard a young maid sing,In the valley below. CHORUS: ''Oh, don't deceive me,'Oh, never leave me,'How could you use''A poor maiden so? Remember the vows,That you made to your Mary,Remember the bow'r,Where you vowed to be true, Chorus Oh Gay is the garland,And fresh are the roses,I've culled from the garden,To place upon thy brow. Chorus Thus sang the poor maiden,Her sorrows bewailing,Thus sang the poor maid,In the valley below. Chorus • Another version: Early one morningjust as the sun was rising,I heard a young maid singin the valley below. Oh, don't deceive me,Oh, never leave me,How could you useA poor maiden so? Remember the vows thatyou made to me truly,Remember how tenderlyyou nestled close to me. Gay is the garlandfresh are the rosesI've culled from the gardento bind over thee. Here I now wanderalone as I wonderWhy did you leave meto sigh and complain. I ask of the roseswhy should I be forsaken,Why must I here in sorrow remain? Through yonder grove by the spring that is running,There you and I have so merrily played,Kissing and courting and gently sporting,Oh, my innocent heart you've betrayed. Soon you will meet with another pretty maiden,Some pretty maiden,you'll court her for a while. Thus ever rangingturning and changing,Always seeking for a girl that is new. Thus sung the maiden,her sorrows bewailingThus sung the maidin the valley below Oh, don't deceive me,Oh, never leave me,How could you useA poor maiden so? ==Arrangements==

The folk song is used in a number of well known folk-song arrangements, for example by the English composers Benjamin Britten and Gordon Jacob along with the Australian composer Percy Aldridge Grainger. Its melody forms the opening bars of the "Radio 4 UK Theme" by Fritz Spiegl, which was played every morning at the switch-on of BBC Radio 4 from late 1978 until April 2006. The melody was also adapted by Sir Francis Vivian Dunn as a military slow march called "The Globe and Laurel", created for the Band of the Royal Marines in 1935. The melody is one of the main themes of the "Nell Gwyn Overture" by Edward German. The melody was used for many years as the opening theme music for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation children's TV series, The Friendly Giant, and was performed by star Bob Homme on recorder at the end of every episode. ==In popular culture==

In Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), "Early One Morning" is played in the background as the tale of Sir Lancelot begins. Hayley Mills (as Pollyanna) and Nancy Olson (as Nancy Furman) sing the song in the Disney film Pollyanna (1960). "Early One Morning" is used as a plot device in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7, Episode 8, "Sleeper," where the First Evil uses the song as a trigger to turn re-ensouled Spike back into a killer. In The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, the song is used as a connection between the protagonist, Todd, and his deceased mother. ==Recordings==

• Sarah Brightman, on The Trees They Grow So High. • Eva Cassidy, on Somewhere. • Hayley Mills and Nancy Olson sang the song in the 1960 Disney film Pollyanna. • Jim Moray sang the song in his album Sweet England. • Nana Mouskouri on Quand tu chantes. • The Tornados recorded an instrumental rock version under the name "Blackpool Rock" ==References==