It’s long been a Broken Hearted Toy tradition to post a Halloween song profile each day during the month of October. Due to my wife and I being on vacation, I’ve fallen behind this year. In order to catch up, there will three posts today—each concerning a witch but done in a distinctly different style. Like a flight of wine or beer, only supernatural. Each is a repost from the Broken Hearted Toy haunted vault, and here’s the second:
Halloween Song: Steeleye Span - “Alison Gross”
Steeleye Span’s successful career of updating centuries-old ballads with electric guitar and drum arrangements began in England around 1969. “Alison Gross,” from the band’s 1973 release Parcel Of Rogues, spins the tale of a witch trying to win a man’s heart through bribery. She offers him a series of riches, starting with a red mantle with golden flowers and fine fringe. Nothing she conjures can change his low opinion of her appearance, though.
“Away, away, you ugly witch/Go far away and let me be,” he responds. “I never would kiss your ugly mouth/For all of the gifts that you give to me.” Infuriated, Alison Gross whips out her magic wand and turns him into a worm. According to Wikipedia, Steeleye Span added its own chorus and left off the original ballad’s happy ending, which had the man being restored to his proper shape on Halloween by a passing fairy.
Also, he may not have been transformed into an earthworm, since the original lyrics used the word wyrm, which meant dragon. Unlike some of the ancient ballads, which can be slow and gloomy, “Alison Gross” feels like a rowdy Halloween party song villagers might have sung while swinging steins of mead.
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