Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo

Subject: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From: jenithea
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 08:40 PM

I'm trying to track down the origins and the actual lyrics for a lullabye my mother used to sing. She thinks it might be Scottish in origin. Here's our best attempt to cobble together how the song went, but I am sure there are many gaps and inaccuracies:


I've Lost My Darling Baby-o
------------------------------

I left my baby lying here, lying here, lying here
I left my baby lying here, to (something) gather blaeberries.

Chorus:    Hoven, hoven, goriogo, goriogo, goriogo
                hoven, hoven, goriogo, I've lost my darling baby-o.

I found the trail of the mountain mist, mountain mist, mountain mist
I found the trail of the mountain mist, but could not find my baby-o

Chorus

I found the trail of the spotted fawn, spotted fawn, spotted fawn
I found the trail of the spotted fawn, but never a trace of baby-o.

Chorus

I found the trail of the swan of the lake, swan of the lake, swan of the lake
I found the trail of the swan of the lake, but could not find my baby-o.

Chorus

(this last bit is my mother's own addition, to avoid distressing young children...)

I looked beneath the blaeberry bush, blaeberry bush, blaeberry bush
I looked beneath the blaeberry bush, and there I found my baby-o.

Hoven, hoven, goriogo, goriogo, goriogo
hoven, hoven, goriogo, I've found my darling baby-o.

---------------------
Does this song sound familiar to anyone? If anybody can give me the real lyrics and/or any info on its origins, that would be wonderful.

thanks!

--js

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From: jenithea
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 08:44 PM

oops, never mind... I should have done a Google search first. I just found these:

http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/fairylul.html

http://www.glasgowguide.co.uk/wjmc/ileftmyb.shtml

I guess she was right about it being Scottish...

--js

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From:
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:04 PM

Yes, it comes from the Gaelic song, An Coineachan.

The story behind it is that the woman is out picking berries. She sets the baby down for a moment to go further into the thickets. When she comes out there is no baby. As everyone knows, the capricious sidhe who rarely have children of their own, have probably taken the babe. The rest of the song has the woman searching high and low, asking all the animals she encounters if they have seen her baby. Always the answer is no, so she goes on. The last verse has her asking the mist/fog at the top of the peak.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From:
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:10 PM

We've also had some discussion on the song. Here are two of the threads

Highland Fairy Lullaby
Fairy Lullaby
Highland Fairy Lullaby in DT

Anyway, more info for you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From:
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:13 PM

As complete a version as I've got was posted in this thread Gaelic Lullaby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling ba
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 03:50 PM

I LOVE that song! If I recall correctly, a version of it is on an Irish Rover's record not available on CD called:
Tales To Warm Your Mind

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From: Boab
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 03:50 AM

The first Hebridean song I ever learned. I have a brother [Lachie] two years my junior. My old Gran had him wrapped in his "plaid" [a common method of carrying young-uns in the not too distant past] and I was toddlin' along by her side, harping on about climbing a nearby hill. Granny pointed out that she was carrying "Wee Lachie". So I suggested leaving him wrapped in his plaid by a thicket of nettles. So she sang "the Faerie Lullaby" to me. It stuck with me all down the years!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jun 10 - 07:04 PM

my mother sang this song to me at night but in gaelic. i would love to hear it sung again if anyone knows where to find it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blaeberries - I've lost my darling babyo
From: maeve
Date: 29 Jun 10 - 04:23 PM

GUEST- A Gaelic version was mentioned earlier in this thread. You can find it here.