Jolly Is The Miller

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

In his journal for 20 November 1997, Robert Hunter wrote:

"Today was a down, dark energy day. It didn't translate into creating music and I really didn't want it to. Instead, I took a folk tune I've always loved ("Jolly is the Miller" or, alternately, "Charlie is the Miller") but which is difficult to perform since it only has one known verse. I outfitted it with a half dozen new verses, which feel very appropriate to the tune and surviving verse, and now have a dandy new song to sing. The title belies the darkness of the tune and I'll probably select one more resonant for it. It's one of those Medieval feeling pieces that got preserved although changed somewhat in the time capsule of American Appalachia."

Jolly is the miller that lives by the mill
The wheel goes round with a right good will
With a hand upon the hopper and another on the sack
The ladies go forward and the gents go back