The Grey Cock / The Lover's Ghost

Written by: [Traditional]
Language: English
Comments: [Roud 179; Child 248; Ballad Index C248; trad.]. The ballad was circulating in England as early as the seventeenth century. A variant is called "Pretty Crowin' Chicken". A number of lyrical folk songs present the situation of two lovers disturbed by the early crowing of a cock. Perhaps the origins of these songs is found in the supernatural ballad of the lover returned from the dead. Its themes echo ancient folklore notions that have spread from the Orient, through the Balkans, as far west as Ireland.
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Versions

Title	Performer	Release date	Info
The Lover's Ghost	A.L. Lloyd	1956
The Grey Cock	Cecilia Costello	1961
The Lover's Ghost	Alfred Deller with Desmond Dupré	1961
The Grey Cock	Peggy Seeger	1962
Pretty Crowing Chicken	Hattie Presnell	1964
The Grey Cock	Kathy & Carol	1965
The Grey Cock	Ewan MacColl	1966
Pretty Crowing Chicken	Frank Proffitt	1974
The Grey Cock	Derek Sarjeant and Hazel King	1976
The Grey Cock	Chris Foster [GB]	1979
The Grey Cock	James Griffett - Timothy Walker	1980
The Lover's Ghost	Martin Jenkins	1984	Unverified
The Grey Cock	Jez Lowe, Linda Adams	1986
The Grey Cock	Waterson:Carthy	November 15, 1994
Pretty Crowin' Chicken	The Rhythm Rats	1994
The Grey Cock / The Lover's Ghost	Alison McMorland, Kirsty Potts	September 2003
Pretty Crowin' Chicken	Sara Grey	August 2005
The Lover's Ghost	The Askew Sisters	2007
Pretty Crowin' Chicken	Van Colbert	June 1, 2013
The Lover's Ghost	Mick Ryan and Paul Downes	2013
The Grey Cock	Rachel McDonough	April 1, 2020

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
	i	The Lover's Ghost	Martin Simpson	2001
	i	Pretty Crowing Chicken	Martin Simpson	2007

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
		Duše mé lásky	Asonance	November 1994	First release