Peggy Seeger - The Wife Of Usher's Well [HD]

Peggy Seeger sings the British traditional ballad 'The Wife Of Usher's Well' (Child #79). This song from Seeger's 1962 Prestige album 'A Song For You And Me' is about a woman whose three children sent away to school soon die and then return for a visit in less than earthly form. Seeger states in the album liner notes that the ballad is more common in America than Britain and "the ballad has a highly religious cast, often mystical and full of magic symbology. It is a rare piece in the American tradition, not having been purged of its links with ancient legends and folk superstitions which reach back beyond recorded history." Steeleye Span and Hedy West sing versions of the song. Notes: The album back song listing and record label incorrectly make the "Well' in the song title "Wells." Seeger, in her liner notes, and everywhere else I've seen this song's name have the singular "'Well." So I've corrected this in my song title, though not in the video. The song has some noticeable surface noise, but I thought the song worth making available because of the quality of the song and Seeger's singing - even with the sound "as is" from the vinyl record.

Added 14 Jun 2026