ALL ROUND MY HAT (I WEAR THE GREEN WILLOW)
Created on 16/12/2008Latest update on 30/10/2025
Artist: Sabine Baring-Gould
Author: John Hansell/John Valentine
Year: 1895
In his songbook A Garland Of Country Song. A big 'hit' in those days as sung by W.H. Williams. London (Cockney) street song. Baring-Gould encountered someone singing the song in the field, but lacking anything to make notes with he raced home singing words and tune repeatedly until he finally could write them down once behind the piano. It's the English forefather of Round Her Neck She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, later Tie A Yellow Ribbon (US) and The Black Velvet Band (IRE). When lovers were separated (by war, jail or deportation), the left behind one was supposed to greef and hope, wearing a distinctive hatdress. Leaves of the weeping willow were an obvious choice.
Covers:
- 1943:
Mrs. R.W. Duncan [in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for the L.o.C.]
- 1943:
Dennis Smith [5 days later]
- 1951:
Johnny McDonagh [same melody in The Death Of Brugh; Cathal Brugha was a leader of the Irish revolt of 1916; he was shot by the British in '22; Irish Alan Lomax recording]
- 1953:
Neil O'Brien [also in Nova Scotia for Smithsonian Folkways as All Around My Hat]
- 1954:
Stanley Holloway [idem]
- 1956:
- 1957:
- 1963:
Peg Clancy Power [as Tri-Coloured Ribbon; lyrics: Peadar Kearney]
- 1966:
Anne Byrne [as Tri Coloured Ribbon]
- 1966:
Wolfe Tones [idem; Irish nationalistic reflex]
- 1968:
Peadar Kearney [as Tri-coloured Ribbon; Irish republican variation, focusing on the repercussions of the Easter 1916 uprising; Peter Bellamy recording]
- 1969:
Peter Bellamy [as All Around My Hat; the version known by Flemish folk trio De Snaar, they translated it as Al Rondom Mijnen Hoed the year before Steeleye Span hit]
- 1975:
Steeleye Span [idem; international folk hit, top 5 UK, that's bigger than any other trad. song]
- 1986:
José [idem]
- 1996:
Status Quo [idem; with Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span) on harmony vocals; hit UK]
Same tune as in The Budgeon Is A Fine Trade (1850s). (Round Her Neck) She Wears/Wore A Yellow Ribbon (Andrews Sisters a.o.) is another song with oldest versions around 1917/18 (George A. Norton & American Quartet).
