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> Maddy Prior > Songs > Lully, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child

The Coventry Carol / Lullay, Lullay

[ Roud 19028 ; Ballad Index OBC022 ; trad.]

Pupils from Wisbech Grammar School sang the Coventry Carol in the Live Christmas Day 1957 Broadcast on BBC Radio organised by Alan Lomax. This was published in 2000 on the Alan Lomax Collection CD Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year.

In 1969, The Young Tradition split up while recording their album of Christmas songs with Shirley and Dolly Collins, The Holly Bears the Crown; and it was only in 1995 that the album was finally released. One of the carols on this album is The Coventry Carol. Shirley Collins and Heather Wood commented in the album's liner notes:

From one of the Coventry Mystery or Miracle plays, in the Pageant of the Shearmen and Taylors. It is known that in 1484 Richard III attended a performance of the Pageant and would have heard this carol.

Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band sang Lully, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child in 1986 on their Saydisc album A Tapestry of Carols, and in 1998 on their Park Records CD Carols at Christmas.

The Witches of Elswick sang Lullay, Lullay in 2005 on their second and last album, Hell's Belles. They commented in their liner notes:

We recorded in December so much to Becky's delight (she gets a little over-excited about Christmas, starting from around August) we decided to stick our one and only carol on the album. It is a haunting record of Herod's slaughter of boys under two in Bethlehem, and “lullay” is reputedly Old English slang for “I saw”. The Carol dates back to the 16th century, unlike Becky's fibre-optic Santa which dates back to 2002.

Lyrics

The Young Tradition sing The Coventry Carol	The Witches of Elswick sing Lullay, Lullay
Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By, by, lully, lullay Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By, by, lully, lullay	Chorus (after each verse): Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By, by, lully, lullay Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By, by, lully, lullay
Oh sisters two, how may we do For to preserve this day? This poor youngling for whom we do sing, “By, by, lully, lullay.”	Oh sisters two, how may we do For to preserve this day? This poor youngling for whom we do sing, “By, by, lully, lullay.”
Herod the king in his raging Charged he hath this day His men of might in his own sight All young children to slay.	Herod the king in his raging Charged he hath this day His men of might in his own sight All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor child, for thee, And ever mourn and may, For thy parting nor say nor sing, “By, by, lully, lullay.”	Oh woe is me, poor child, for thee, And ever mourn and pray, At thy parting nor say nor sing, “By, by, lully, lullay.”
	And when the stars ingather do In their far venture stay Then smile as dreaming, Little One, “By, by, lully, lullay.”