SOng Question: Grim King of the Ghosts

Trad Irish Music
1

Hello, All.

I hope someone can offer an assist.

I came across a video on YouTube of a wonderful singer and player of guitar, octave mandolin and harmonica named Bruce Michael Baillie. He is Irish.

I had never heard of him before but came upon him by accident searching for something else.

Anyway, he performs a song by the name Grim King of the Ghosts that is just remarkable, and he does a great rendition.

However, I cannot find any reference to the song the way he performs it. I searched for the lyrics and got a very long 18th-century poem with the same title, but the lyrics were completely different.

Does anyone know anything about Mr. Baillie (YouTube name: bailliekins) or whether or not he may just be doing a song of his own composition with the same title, or if this is a standard in Celtic/ITM music?

Could anyone point me to the lyrics or anything of the history of the song? Tablature perhaps? (Though I think I can suss the chord changes.)

(In case you don’t know, I’m a lifelong music fanatic who is just now discovering ITM. I don’t know a jig from a reel from a hornpipe and am not familiar even with most of the very well-known tunes and songs.)

For all I know, Mr. Baillie may be very well known in these circles. If you haven’t heard of him, look at his YouTube videos. I think he’s a marvelous player and performer. And no, I am not affiliated with him in any way.

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

Heck, what was I thinking: here’s a link to the video. Anyone familiar with it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWZbwsHhLZ4

It says it is an old 17th century ballad. Would love to learn more about the song and the correct lyrics.

2

Yes, a very nice English ballad, dating from at least 1682.

Info, with tune in ABC format:
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/GREET_GRUM.htm#GRIM_KING_OF_THE_GHOSTS

Broadside ballad sheet (Pepys) with lyrics. Click to enlarge:
http://www.english.ucsb.edu/emc/ballad_project/ballad_image.asp?id=21727

Recording of the above with clear lyrics:
http://emc.english.ucsb.edu/ballad_project/sample_songs/4.61.mp3

Google on “Grim King of the Ghosts” for lots more info.

There’s a brief bio of Bruce Michael Baillie here:
http://www.cleckheatonfolkfestival.org/localArtistsBrucebaillie.htm

From the broadside black-letter text, which matches Baillie’s version fairly closely:

Grim King of the Ghosts make haste
And bring hither all your train
See how the pale moon does waste
And just now is in the wane
Come you night-hags with all your charms
And reveling witches away
And hug me close in your arms
To you my respects I’ll pay

I’ll court you and think you fair
Since love does distract my brain
I’ll go and I’ll wed the night-mare
And kiss her and kiss her again
But if she proves peevish and proud
Then a piece of her love let her go
I’ll seek me a winding shroud
And down to the shades below

A lunacy I endure
Since reason departs away
I call to those hags for cure
As knowing not what I say
The beauty whom I do adore
Now slights me with scorn and disdain
I never shall see her more
Ah, how shall I bear my pain

I ramble and range about
To find out my charming saint
While she at my grief does flout
And smiles at my loud complaint
Distraction I see is my doom
Of this I am now too sure
A rival is in my room
While torments I do endure.

Strange fancies doth fill my head
While wandering in despair
I am to the deserts led
Expecting to find her there
Methinks in a spangled cloud
I see her enthroned on high
Then to her I cry aloud
And labour to reach the sky

When thus I have raved a while
And wearied myself in vain
I lie on the barren soil
And bitterly do complain
Till slumber hath quieted me
In sorrow I sigh and weep
The clouds is my canopy
To cover me while I sleep

I dream that my charming fair
Is then in my rival’s bed
Whose tresses of golden hair
Is on the fair pillows spread
Then this doth my passion inflame
I start and no longer can lie
Ah, Sylvia, art thou not to blame
To ruin a lover I cry

Grim King of the Ghosts be true
And hurry me hence away
My languishing life to you
As tribute I freely pay
To the Elysium shades I passed
In hopes to be free from care
Where many a bleeding ghost
Is hovering in the air

Here’s a variant text from Percy’s Relics (via Google Books):
http://tinyurl.com/29kzd9

And here’s the melody from the John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, which more or less matches Baillie’s setting:

X: 1
T: Grim King of the Ghosts
S: http://tinyurl.com/ynwwon
M: 3/4
K: Gm
D2|G2 ^F2 G2|B2 A2 G2|A4 D2|B2 A2 d2|B3 A G2|G2:|
Bc|d2 d2 G2|e2 d2 cB|c4 dc|B2 A2 B2|G2 c2 B2|A4 DD|
G2 ^F2 G2|B2 A2 G2|A4 D2|B2 A2 d2|B3 A G2|G4|]

3

MTGuru, you are my hero.

I swear, I did indeed use Google to search and I found nothing like what you turned up.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I owe you. Thanks.

4

Blimey! Me, Irish? Whatever gave you that idea? I’m English from a little place called Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire! Thanks for the compliments though it’s nice to hear from people who like my music!