Magpie - The Unthanks - LYRICS

As requested by Panthera :)

The magpie (Pica pica) is a beautiful black and white corvid, a familiar bird in the European countryside and one with a rich tradition of symbolism and folk history attached to it.
The Magpie counting song (also known as “One for Sorrow”) is a traditional children's nursery rhyme originally from the UK. It goes:

1 for sorrow
2 for joy
3 for a girl
4 for a boy
5 for silver
6 for gold
7 for a secret, never to be told.
8 for a wish
9 for a kiss
10 for a bird you must not miss

According to an old superstition, the number of magpies one sees determines if one will have bad luck.

( Also featured at the end of the first episode of the third series of the BBC comedy, Detectorists )


Performed by the English folk band The Unthanks
Album: Mount the Air (2015)