Golden Apples of the Sun

The lyrics to this song are from a poem “The Song of the Wandering Angus” by William Butler Yeats. It was first printed in 1897 in British magazine Ihe Skietch under the title "A Mad Song." It was then published under its standard name in Yeats' 1899 anthology The Wind Among the Reeds.

There has been much speculation about the meaning of the poem (see the Wikipedia link to the poem). Aengus is an Irish god who was said to have fallen in love with a girl whom he only saw is his dreams.

The music is by Travis Edmonson, who was part of a folk duo called Bud & Travis. Bud & Travis recorded the song in 1960 on their 1960 LP "Naturally: Folk Songs for the Present".

Judy Collins recorded it in 1962 on her "Golden Apples of the Sun" LP.

It was also recorded by a number of other artists (often as "Song of the Wandering Aengus"). Most use Edmonson's tune, but Donovan (on his 1971 album "HMS Donovan") and The Waterboys (on their 2011 album "An Evening with Mr. Yeats") composed different musical settings for the poem.

I went out to the hazelwood
Because a fire was in my head
Cut & peeled a hazel wand
And hooked a berry to a thread
A - / Em A / - - / Em -  And when white moths were on the wing
And moth-like stars were flickering out
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout
A - / - - / Em A / Em - 
When I had laid it on the ground
And gone to blow the fire aflame
Something rustled on the floor
And someone called me by my name
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And vanished in the brightening air

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands & hilly lands
I will find out where she has gone
And see her lips and take her hand
And walk through long green dappled grass
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon
The golden apples of the sun

w: W.B.Yeats (“Song of the Wandering Aengus”) m: Travis Edmondson

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