Origins: Crow on the Cradle

Subject: Origins: Crow on the Cradle
From: GUEST,chouxfleur
Date: 03 Mar 21 - 10:04 AM

Hello
I know Sydney Carter wrote the song and am fairly sure he wrote it as a protest song at the time of the Cuban Misile Crisi. Can anyone confirm this?

Subject: RE: Origins: Crow on the Cradle
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 03 Mar 21 - 10:11 AM

See this thread: Origin/Meaning: Crow on the Cradle (Sydney Carter) for some suggestions - from about half way down the thread (after the lyrics).

Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: Crow on the Cradle
From: GUEST,#
Date: 03 Mar 21 - 10:34 AM

The song was in Sing Out, Vol 11, #5
Dec-Jan 1961-2.

Indeed Carter wrote it (although I read it may have been based on an earlier song). I doubt it was written as a protest about the Cuban Missile Crisis specifically, because he would have to have written it earlier than the crisis in order to meet Sing Out`s publishing deadlines, etc.

Subject: RE: Origins: Crow on the Cradle
From: GUEST,#
Date: 03 Mar 21 - 06:38 PM

Perhaps I should explain more clearly. No doubt the song was influenced by the history of the time, but the Cuban Missile Crisis was October, 1962, and the song pre-dates that.

Subject: RE: Origins: Crow on the Cradle
From: Mo the caller
Date: 05 Mar 21 - 09:03 AM

The other thread is worth reading. Seems that the words or imagery of a lot of songs were built into the song.