The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #120829 Message #2631642
Posted By: Jack Campin
14-May-09 - 10:14 AM
Thread Name: Origins: The Gallowa Hills/The Braes of Galloway
Subject: ADD: The Braes of Galloway
This was new to me. Seems to be the original of "The Gallowa Hills".
From Charles Rogers, "The Scottish Minstrel", 1870.
The Braes of Galloway
(William Nicholson, 1782-1849)
[Tune: "White Cockade"]
O lassie, wilt thou gang wi' me,
And leave thy frien's i' th' south countrie-
Thy former frien's and sweethearts a',
And gang wi' me to Gallowa'?
O Gallowa' braes they wave wi' broom,
And heather-bells in bonnie bloom;
There's lordly seats, and livin's braw,
Amang the braes o' Gallowa'!
There's stately woods on mony a brae,
Where burns and birds in concert play;
The waukrife echo answers a',
Amang the braes o' Gallowa'.
The simmer shiel I'll build for thee
Alang the bonnie banks o' Dee,
Half circlin' roun' my father's ha',
Amang the braes o' Gallowa'.
When autumn waves her flowin' horn,
And fields o' gowden grain are shorn,
I'll busk thee fine, in pearlins braw,
To join the dance in Gallowa'.
At e'en, whan darkness shrouds the sight,
And lanely, langsome is the night,
Wi' tentie care my pipes I'll thraw,
Play "A' the way to Gallowa'."
Should fickle fortune on us frown,
Nae lack o' gear our love should drown;
Content should shield our haddin' sma',
Amang the braes o' Gallowa'.
Come while the blossom's on the broom,
And heather bells sae bonnie bloom;
Come let us be the happiest twa
On a' the braes o' Gallowa'!
The modern tune, though, is a variant of the pipe march "Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle". I wonder how that happened?