"Blacksmith" (Roud 816) is a traditional English folk song, also known as "A Blacksmith Courted Me". The song was noted down by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1909 from a Mrs Ellen Powell of Westhope near Weobley, Herefordshire. On that occasion it was sung to the tune "Monk's Gate", better known as the tune of "To be a pilgrim", the hymn by John Bunyan. The same tune is sometimes used for the song "Our Captain Cried". There is a setting by George Butterworth (a friend of Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp) in his 1912 collection Folk Songs from Sussex (recorded by Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside in the Naxos English Song Series 8.572426).
Recordings
The song has been recorded many times. Steeleye Span lead off their first two studio albums Hark! The Village Wait and Please to See the King with different versions of the song; it also can be heard on several of their live albums. Maddy Prior (of Steeleye Span) also sings an a cappella version of the song on her 1993 solo album Year. Andy Irvine sings it on Planxty's debut album Planxty, Pentangle on the album So Early in the Spring, Loreena McKennitt on Elemental, and Eddi Reader on Mirmama. There are also versions by Martin Simpson and Kathy & Carol, The Critics Group, Shirley Collins, Barbara Dickson on the album Do Right Woman, Phil Cooper on the album Pretty Susan, Scatter the Mud on the album In the Mood. Linda Ronstadt gives an a cappella rendition on the 1990 compilation album Rubáiyát. Barry Dransfield recorded an unusual instrumental version of the tune. Jah Wobble recorded a version of the song on his 1996 album English Roots Music. Runa recorded a version on their debut album Jealousy.
For a discography with lyric versions, see Reinhard Zierke's site.