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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight,
Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Red Sky at Night" is one of the oldest weather sayings in the English language, with roots in the Bible itself: in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus refers to the same observation — a red sky at evening promises fair weather; a red sky at morning warns of storms to come. The principle has a meteorological basis: in the mid-latitudes, weather systems generally travel from west to east, and a red sunset reflects light through dust particles in the dry air of an approaching high-pressure system, while a red sunrise often signals moisture and cloud coming in from the west.
"Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November" is the well-known rhyme commemorating the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Fawkes was captured in the cellars of the building on the evening of 4 November, and the failure of the plot has been celebrated with bonfires and fireworks on 5 November ever since.
The pairing of these two very different traditional verses in one arrangement creates an evocative and distinctly English mood — the turning sky and the remembered night.
