The Baker Woman

This a a folk-style hymn about Mary "baking" Jesus, and his subsequent life and death,  endign with his being recognised on the road to Emmaus.

It was written by Hubert John (Bert) Richards - although the 20th Century Folk Hymnal published in 1974 says it is translated from French, and various websites say that it is based on an as-yet-unidentified French song for Advent.

The song was originally published in 1966 and in 1982 copyright was assigned to Kevin Mayhew Ltd. It is included in the current edition of the Celebration Hymnal for Everyone, which has a full-music edition with the entire score.

Downloads

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No downloadable versions have been found, of either performances or the sheet music. If you know where to find one, please leave a message in the Comments box near the bottom of the page.

Examples

Singer with keyboard backing, and lyrics on-screen

Small group with band, words on-screen in English and Maltese

Early (1960s) professional recording - small group with band

Singer with guitar

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this website. A rough outline is:

1 The Bakerwoman in her humble lodge
Received a grain of wheat from God ...
Make us the bread, Mary, Mary,
Make us the bread we need to be fed.


2 The Bakerwoman took the road which led ...

3 She baked the bread for thirty years ...

4 After thirty years the bread was done ...

5 For thirty coins the bread was sold ...

6 And when she saw the bread so white ...

7. But the bakerwoman’s only son ...

See more ...

• Hymns about Mary
• Folk-style hymns

Image adapted from Assorted Breads, from Wikipedia

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY 1. The bakerwoman in her humble lodge
received a grain of wheat from God.
For nine whole months the grain she stored.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Make us the bread, Mary, Mary.
Make us the bread, we need to be fed.

2. The bakerwoman took the road which led
to Bethlehem, the house of bread.
To knead the bread she laboured through the night,
and brought it forth about midnight.
Bake us the bread, Mary, Mary.
Bake us the bread, we need to be fed.

3. She baked the bread for thirty years
by the fire of her love and the salt of her tears,
by the warmth of a heart so tender and bright,
and the bread was golden brown and white.
Bring us the bread, Mary, Mary.
Bring us the bread, we need to be fed.

4. After thirty years the bread was done.
It was taken to town by her only son;
the soft white bread to be given free
to the hungry people of Galilee.
Give us the bread, Mary, Mary.
Give us the bread, we need to be fed.

5. For thirty coins the bread was sold,
and a thousand teeth so cold, so cold,
tore it to pieces on Friday noon
when the sun turned black and red the moon.
Break us the bread, Mary, Mary,
Break us the bread, we need to be fed.

6. And when she saw the bread so white,
the living bread she had made at night,
devoured as wolves might devour a sheep,
the bakerwoman began to weep.
Weep for the bread, Mary, Mary.
Weep for the bread, we need to be fed.

7. But the bakerwoman’s only son
appeared to his friends when three days had run
on the road which to Emmaus led,
and they knew him in the breaking of bread.
Lift up your head, Mary, Mary.
Lift up your head, for now we’ve been fed.