Second song, a reimagined Flowers of the Forest

Today we pray for Flowers of the Forest (video update below)

I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.

Once they had futures, and love a waiting.
Fathers and Mothers, a life to enjoy.
Then came the call, a service to them all.
A noble cause written, they stood tall and proud.

I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.

Midnight songs a playing, shots and beer flowing
Smiles all a plenty, til the night is done.
Xcept for the lady, the moon cold and lonely
Thoughts of her flower, are growing inside.

Justice for the lowly, help for the helpless.
Brothers and sisters, a hand to them all.
Now there is silence, though debate rages loudly
These flowers of the forest, victims to the gall.

I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.


Notes: A traditional song rephrased and rethought for today by Dave Schipper ©2008 Rose Riversongs. I really loved this song from an old Joe Hickerson vinyl "Drive Dull Care Away"... and the melody stuck with me for a long time. This summer while playing instrumental music behind Lori at her Jewelry shows. I picked up this song again, and thought my voice ain't much worse than Joe's so why not cover it. Yikes, I really couldn't see me singing the words when I went back to the record. So I re-wrote them to touch on a few of the passions I was hearing in today's young women waiting for their loves to come back from Iraq or Pakistan.


I really didn't think it would make it on the cd but then I was amazed that Nichola Maria O'Donnell took me up on my request to sing lead. Boy is her voice right for the song. It was after she did this that I was pushed to finish the cd and post it through TuneCore.com as a digital release.




Here was the English translation of the Scottish song:

I've heard the singing, at the ewe-milking,
Lassies a-singing before dawn of the day;
But now they are moaning on every milking-green;
"The Flowers of the Forest are all withered away".

Sorrow and woe for the order sent our lads to the Border!
The English for once, by guile won the day,
The Flowers of the Forest, that always fought the foremost,
The pride of our land lies cold in the clay.

I've heard the singing, at the ewe-milking,
Lassies a-singing before dawn of the day;
But now they are moaning on every milking-green;
"The Flowers of the Forest are all withered away".

I got those from WikiPedia.

So what do you think? My version is pretty true to the original feeling of the song that has become a funeral melody done on bagpipes.... none on my song... just a wonderful woman's voice.  Ten years later I made a video for the song:


While back in 2008 I felt armed an dangerous with my Web Cam You Tubes... so why not an instrumental version of the song merged with the Beatles classic, Norwegian Wood