About our songs:
A Nation Once Again
by
Thomas Davis
Annie Laurie
The song to "Annie Laurie" was originally written by her
sweetheart, William Douglas, and amended by Lady John Scott
(1810-1900) who altered the second verse and composed the third.
This song was a favourite with Scottish soldiers during the
Crimean War. The song is about the wife of Alexander
Fergusson of Craigdarroch.
The song is about the wife
of Alexander Fergusson of Craigdarroch.
Auld Lang Syne
click here for history of Auld Lang Syne
Black Velvet Band
(traditional song indicating the savagery of the penal code
which allowed for transportation to Van Diemen's Land,now
Tasmania, for what can only be regarded as petty crimes)
Donald Where's
Your Troosers?
Andy Stewart was a
popular and well known entertainer on stage and television. He
starred in "The White Heather" club, a medley of Scottish song
and dance which began life in the days of black and white TV and
lasted for many years. Andy Stewart was identified with a number
of songs, including this one about Donald and his kilt...
Fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry is a song about the The Irish Potato
Famine, which struck Ireland between 1846 and 1849;
composer: 1980s by Pete St. John
Finnegan's Wake
This musical description of an Irish wake which got out of hand
dates from the mid 1800's
and would have been familir to James Joyce who wote a book by
the same name.
Flower of Scotland
the lyrics commemorate
the defeat of Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314
I Belong to
Glasgow
This song was written by the music hall entertainer Will Fyfe
(1885-1947),
reputedly after helping a drunk who said "The way I feel tonight
is that Glasgow belongs to me."
Irish Rover by
Joseph Crofts
Loch Lomond:
The Highland Scots wanted a
Scottish, not an English King to rule. Led by their Bonnie
Prince Charlie (Prince Charles Edward Stuart) they attempted
unsuccessfully to depose Britain's King George II. An army of
7,000 Highlanders were defeated on April 16, 1746 at the famous
Battle of Culloden Moor. It is this same battle that indirectly
gives rise to this beautiful song. After the battle, many
Scottish soldiers were imprisoned within England's Carlisle
Castle, near the border of Scotland. "Loch Lomond" tells the
story of two Scottish soldiers who were so imprisoned. One of
them was to be executed, while the other was to be set free.
According to Celtic legend if someone dies in a foreign land,
his spirit will travel to his homeland by "the low road" - the
route for the souls of the dead. In the song, the spirit of the
dead soldier shall arrive first, while the living soldier will
take the "high road" over the mountains, to arrive afterwards.
The song is from the point of view of the soldier who will be
executed: When he sings, "ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak'
the low road" in effect he is saying that you will return alive,
and I will return in spirit. He remembers his happy past, "By
yon bonnie banks ... where me and my true love were ever wont to
gae [accustomed to go]" and sadly accepts his death "the broken
heart it ken nae [knows no] second Spring again."
MacNamara’s Band
by Shamus O'Connor (composer) & John J. Stamford (lyrics) 1917
Mairi's Wedding
Lewis Wedding Song
Lyrics by Johnny Bannerman 1935 for Mary McNiven; to learn more,
including lyrics in Gaelic,
click here
The tune for this song can be found in the Marjorie
Kennedy-Fraser collection of music of the Hebrides,
published in the early 20th century. It is untitled.
My Wild Irish Rose
by Chauncey Olcott 1899; to learn more
click here
Roamin' in the
Gloamin'
Composer : Harry Lauder (Sir) 1870-1950
Scotland The Brave
Lyric composed by Cliff Hanley and set to an old pipe tune.
SKYE BOAT SONG
Words by Sir
Harold Boulton, Bart., 1884. Music by Annie MacLeod.
Charles Edward Stewart, the Young Pretender, was routed by the
Duke of Cumberland on Culloden Moor in 1745. Aided by a
Jacobite heroine, Flora MacDonald, Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped
to the island of Skye in the inner Hebrides. He was finally
taken by a French vessel to Morlaix on the coast of Bretagne.
The first half of the tune is said to be an old sea shanty; the
other half is traditionally attributed to Miss MacLeod.
THESE ARE MY
MOUNTAINS Words and music by James Copeland
Waltzing With Bears
The
history of the song is somewhat controversial. Most trace its
origins to a Dr. Seuss composition called My Uncle Terwilliger
Waltzes with Bears (The Cat in The Hat Songbook, Random House,
1967) with words by Dr. Seuss and music by Eugene Poddany.
Songwriter Dale Marxen claims it is an original composition. To
learn more
click here
When Irish
Eyes Are Smiling
The
lyrics to When Irish Eyes Are Smiling were written by Chauncey
Olcott and George Graff, Jr. and set to the music of Enerst Ball
for Olcott's production of The Isle O' Dreams. The music was
published in 1912. To hear the melody and learn more
click here
Wild Rover (traditional)
Will You Go Lassie Go (Wild Mountain Thyme) (traditional)
This page maintained by Dianna Shipman.
Updated November 17, 2008.
