Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Taconicus
Date: 13 Oct 23 - 04:18 PM

The first verse refers to the boat trip along with Flora (who was "trim[ming] the sail") and the crew of six boatmen (who were "heaving the shallop") to the Isle of Skye. From there they went overland to Portree, where arrangements had been made for Charles to travel to Raasay in the hope of being picked up by a French warship. Presumably, the "young Raasay" of the second verse is the young native of Raasay who was operating that second boat and was "hold[ing] fast the helm." Finally, the "tall ship" of the third verse is presumably the ship that took Prince Charles to France, with the crew being the 'heroes' who were "pull[ing] hard" the sheets (controlling the sails) or oars.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Taconicus
Date: 13 Oct 23 - 04:18 PM

The first verse refers to the boat trip along with Flora (who was "trim[ming] the sail") and the crew of six boatmen (who were "heaving the shallop") to the Isle of Skye. From there they went overland to Portree, where arrangements had been made for Charles to travel to Raasay in the hope of being picked up by a French warship. Presumably, the "young Raasay" of the second verse is the young native of Raasay who was operating that second boat and was "hold[ing] fast the helm." Finally, the "tall ship" of the third verse is presumably the ship that took Prince Charles to France, with the crew being the 'heroes' who were "pull[ing] hard" the sheets (controlling the sails) or oars.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,Backwoodsman
Date: 27 Dec 21 - 04:04 AM

Apologies, that was my post above! ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Dec 21 - 04:04 AM

”3." Loch Scavaig". I's sure I read somewhere (on Mudcat I think) that someone gave the local (or OS) name for this Loch, as Scavaig doesn't seem to exist, but I can't find the thread.”

Loch Scavaig most certainly does exist, and is displayed as such on the Admiratly Nautical Chart for the area. It is on the south coast of Skye, with the island of Soay in the entrance, and it has the beautiful Cuillins down to its west side. It lies between Loch Brittle in the west, and Lochs Slapin and Eishort to its east.

The Sail Training Schooner ‘Malcolm Miller’ anchored there overnight on a couple of occasions when I was a crew-member back in the ‘90s.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,Steve Byrne
Date: 27 Dec 21 - 03:21 AM

There's a video on YouTube of The Corries singing this in their 1980s series for ITV with the combolins in front of a fire and you can ascertain from Roy's singing that the text is essentially the same as Learchilds. The one difference is "wild wind" rather than west or south. I'm not at home at present so can't check The Corries' songbooks (there have been several generations of them since the 1970s) but what I can say is that for most of George Weir's songs, the melodies were actually written by Roy Williamson, so the chances of their words differing somehow from George's original seem slim. It was a writing partnership of sorts that supplied historical sounding texts for The Corries' repertoire (Lord Yester, Weep Ye Weel By Atholl, Arkinholm etc), and I wouldn't put too much store in the accuracy or otherwise of the place names, as other songs would indicate some poetic license being taken for lyrical / singable effect now and again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 20 - 04:20 AM

Thanks Joe for posting on.

I believe there are several 'errors' in the lyrics quoted by Learchild. I take ?his point that George Weir may have written exactly as printed, but locals seem clear about the more 'correct' names, and I would be interested to find them.
I also agree with Joe that the song does sound like the transcription!

1. Flodigarry, not Flodgarry (and not Floodigarry as I wrote above!) The Curries had it as Flood Garry.
2. "Come ye young Raasay". While Raasay is beside Skye, Come ye you Lassie" would make much more sense, as she is asked to "hold fast the helm" - difficult for an island!
3." Loch Scavaig". I's sure I read somewhere (on Mudcat I think) that someone gave the local (or OS) name for this Loch, as Scavaig doesn't seem to exist, but I can't find the thread.
4. "Loch Yuma". As Megan wrote, surely it must be Loch Nam Uamh.
5. The Curries definitely sing 'south wind' (but maybe George wrote 'west').

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Aug 20 - 01:51 AM

I got this email today:

Hi,
I love the song Floodigarry, but have always been puzzled by some of the “official” lyrics which were clearly wrong. I found most on your website, for example "“Down by Loch Hughe man” was corrected to "Loch Nam Uamh”, and there is one lady Megan L who seems very useful. I would like to ask if she knows what “Heave in the shaloch by Broad Beake Bay.” really should be. As far as I know there isn’t any place called “Broad Beake Bay”, but presumably there is something with a similar sounding name.
How can I send her a message?
Kind Regards,    David

I highlighted the lyrics from Learchild above because it's claimed they came from the Corries Songbook. I listened to the Corries recording and agreed with the transcription except for one word I noted, "south." But music group songbooks are often notoriously inaccurate. Can we come up with a transcription of this song that comes from a more reliable source - maybe George Weir himself?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST, Julia L
Date: 06 Dec 17 - 10:10 PM

She actually lived in North Carolina for awhile. We saw the site of her house last year when we were there near Mount Gilead.
J

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 04 Dec 17 - 12:48 PM

Thank you guests Allan Conn & Sol.
There are some things learnt here that are more poetic than even the songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,Sol
Date: 03 Dec 17 - 08:07 PM

Correct. Her husband fought for the loyalists in the American War of Independence. He was captured and his freedom (and I think one of her son's) was bought later. They moved to a fort near Windsor in Nova Scotia. Flora was one of only two women at the fort. The book I read said that she did not like the time she spent there. They moved back to Flodigarry in Skye where she spent the rest of her life.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 03 Dec 17 - 02:46 PM

They did go to America but the family were on the loyalist side during the American Revolution so she returned to Scotland when the revolutionaries won.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 03 Dec 17 - 02:34 PM

I vaguely remember reading that Flora McDonald and her husband crossed to live in America? Tho even if that is true no reason why they did not return to live / die in Scotland - - -

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,G
Date: 03 Dec 17 - 07:18 AM

A beautiful song when sung in harmony--first heard sung by two ladies from Nova Scotia? Then on the Tobar An Duachlas site by a family from The Mull Of Kintyre.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,Sol
Date: 03 Dec 17 - 06:29 AM

To the best of my knowledge, Flora was born in South Uist. I've been to the museum and seen the ruins of the cottage. I think she died in Flodigarry. Her grave is certain there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Dec 17 - 07:37 PM

In response to Jack C from 2011 (!) the lyrics in the Corries' Songbook do say "Loch Yuma" - which is actualy in Arizona, not Mexico! There are unfortunately other mis-transcriptions in the book, so I wouldn't regard it as definitive.
Loch nan Uamh makes perfect sense however: there was a Jacobite naval skirmish there in 1746 (see Wikipedia) and geographically it fits the story, as Megan and Dr Wimsatt have indicated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry / Flodgarry / Flodigarry
From: GUEST,DR M WIMSATT
Date: 02 Dec 17 - 02:09 AM

Loch nan Uamh, the Loch of the Caves, is misconstrued as "Loch Yuma." In other words, Megan L is corect.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry? /Flodgarry (from The Corries
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 08:24 AM

I meant to add, nice pics of her cottage at Flodigarry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry? /Flodgarry (from The Corries
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 05:40 AM

In 1750 Flora and her fiance Allan MacDonald of Kingsburgh were married and lived in Flodigarry.

More about her story here, with places of interest.
http://www.flodigarry.co.uk/flora_history.asp

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry? /Flodgarry (from The Corries
From: Megan L
Date: 07 Sep 11 - 04:13 AM

It is more likely to be an anglisised mishearing of one of the many lochs and lochans on the island. There are several possibilities but the most likely, bieng a sea loch and close to the open water is Loch nan Uamh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry? /Flodgarry (from The Corries
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 09:08 AM

It's Flodigarry with an I.

Where the heck is "Loch Yuma" supposed to be? Sounds like a Mexican placename.

I would guess that somebody is recycling information from a dodgy lyrics site.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry? /Flodgarry (from The Corries
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Sep 11 - 08:10 AM

FLODGARRY
George Weir

Chorus:
Green is Flodgarry,
Blue is the sea,
Born here the lassie
tae guide oor Prince free

Westward the wild wind, high runs the sea,
Heaving the shallop by Broad Lea Eig Bay.
I have but one love; lass, trim the sail,
Ruin behind us, Loyalty as well.

Green is Flodgarry,
Blue is the sea,
Born here the lassie
tae guide oor Prince free

Come ye young Raasay, hold fast the helm,
The Long Ship is heavin' by Loch Scavaig Bay,
Come wi' me lassie turn ye not hame,
Come where the west wind is kind tae its ane.

Green is Flodgarry,
Blue is the sea,
Born here the lassie
tae guide oor Prince free

Pull hard my heroes the eagle tae flee,
Doon by Loch Yuma the Tall Ship runs free,
Flora was taken doon by Portree,
Bound for the tower and maybe tae dee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry /Flodgarry (from The Corries)
From: GUEST,gmac
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:57 PM

Strange that the song states that Flora was born in Floodgary (Flodigarry?) when she was born in South Uist and, died near Floodgary (Skye). i.e. "Born here the lassie ....."
Anybody care to shed light on this apparent faux pas?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 01:07 PM

Yes Flodigarry is on Skye on the north west side, a lovely place with a nice hotel of that name, a bit too expensive for YT though. Garry is the name of at least one river in Scotland, hence Invergarry, like Inverness is on the river Ness.

Jock

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 03:29 AM

Ta muchly, Learchild!!!

Subject: Lyr Add: WEEP YE WEEL BY ATHOLL (George Weir)
From: Learchild
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 03:01 AM

Hi there Anyone know why my nicely typed verses came out as one long sentence!**

Guest Boad - I think your quoting from another George Weir song -Weep ye Weel by Atholl, in my opinion its the best of the Bonnie Dundee songs.

Oh weep ye weel, my dear by Atholl

verse1
Weep ye for oor finest jewel,
Weep ye for oor John wha battled,
By the Garrys deepest pool
By the heights o' Killiecrankie
By the tears o' morning dew
Lay the broadswords o'Killarnie
wi' the tartan and the blue.

verse2
Lang we lay amongst the heather,
Gently sped the mist away.
Panting like the hounds o' summer
Waiting for the deer tae slay.
By the drums o' brave Dumbarton,
Rose the eagle wild and free
By the pibroch o' Dundonald,
Rose the bonnets o' Dundee

verse3
Like a torrent doon the mountain,
Swwept the avalanche of steel
Rose the wild cry o' Macdonald
Flashed the claymore o' Locheil
By the red leaves o' the summer
Whirling by the Garrys pool
Came the whirlwind o' the heather
Roaring like the flood at Yule

verse4
Down the pass the leaves are swirling
doon the glen noo in the gloom
where the red coats noo are burling
in the Garry's bloody pool

Last verse is short and sung slowly as a lament. Dundee was shot in the chest at the Braes of Atholl and died not seeing his army defeat the red coats. It was all very valiant but futile. He is buried in the grounds of Blair Atholl Castle. The pass and the river Garry are very beautiful and will be a blaze of colour now. Ronnie Brown's son has a Corries web site with many of their lyrics, just try a search on 'Corries'.

line breaks fixed by a Joe-clone, check the FAQ thread to see how to add line breaks yourself

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: DMcG
Date: 28 Oct 01 - 05:24 AM

Thanks, Learchild, for your more researched version. My version was what comes from learning stuff from people who knew the Corries version rather than directly - that the folk process for you ! *G*

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 28 Oct 01 - 03:07 AM

Somebody put me straight if I'm wrong---there's a line of song [Corries, Ronnie Browne]tumbling roond in my head---"drowned in Garry's bloody pool". I have a vague memory of it being a reference to the fate suffered by many of the government troops in the conclusion of the battle at Killiecrankie. I have the impression --I may be badly informed---that the stream running through the glen there is the "Garry". Anybody with some definite knowledge?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: Hillheader
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 08:40 PM

Learchild

Thank you. On seeing the words it scans perfectly with my memory of the Corries singing it.

Well done that man!!

Thanks again

Davebhoy

Subject: Lyr Add: FLODGARRY (George Weir)
From: Learchild
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 01:54 PM

Hi
these are the correct lyrics as published by the Corries. Words by the great George Weir, who does deserve recognition for some wonderful songs. Yes, the place names are all from Skye and the western coast, spellings are strange in some cases but George would have done his research and would have had good reason for using them instead of those used by Ordnance Survey.

FLODGARRY
(George Weir)

CHORUS
Green is Flodgarry
blue is the sea
born here the lassie
tae guide oor prince free

Westward the wild wind, high runs the sea
heaving the shallop by Broad Lea Eig bay
I have but one love, lass trim the sail
Ruin behind us, loyalty as well.

Come ye young Raasay, hold fast the helm
The long ship is heavin' by Loch Scavaig Bay
Come wi' me lassie turn ye not hame
Come where the west (south?) wind is kind tae its ain

Pull hard ma heroes the eagle tae flee
Doon by Loch Yuma the tall ship runs free
Flora was taken, doon by Portree
Bound for the tower and maybe tae dee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV_Vpp0dY2A

---

Note from Joe Offer: I hear "south" in the last line of the second verse.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: Hillheader
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 01:03 PM

Thanks all of you - much appreciated.

I have had the tune in my head for days now and at last I can put the words to it.

Thanks again

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: weepiper
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 12:52 PM

I think that should be 'Flodigarry' - it's a place name, I think it's in Skye, that would make sense given the other place names in the song (Portree). Possibly should be 'Loch Ewe' as well? This seems to be on the same subject as 'The Skye Boat Song'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From:
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 12:29 PM

Great! Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: DMcG
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 11:17 AM

Green is Floodgary,
Blue is the sea.,
Born here the Lassie,,
To guide our Prince free.

Westward the wild wind, high runs the sea
Heave in the shaloch by Broad Beake Bay.
I have but one love, Lass trim the sail,
Brewing behind us loyalty as well.

Chorus:

Come ye young Lassie, hold fast the helm
The Long Ships are heaving by Lochslevek Bay
Come wi' me Lassie, turn not ye hame
Come where the south wind is kind tae its ane.

Chorus:

Pull hard my heroes, eagle to flee,
Down by Loch Hughe man, the tall ship runs free.
Flora was taken, down by Portree
Bound for the tower, and ready tae dee.

Chorus x 2:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From:
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 10:37 AM

Might have to go to the library to see if you can locate the song book.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From: Hillheader
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 08:15 AM

George

Thanks for trying. I've searched everywhere too. I only remember some of it. It starts:-

Green is Flood Garry
Blue is the sea
Bonnier the lassie
Tae guide oor prince free

Does it ring any bells with anyone

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Flood Garry
From:
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 08:05 AM

I've just done a quick look on the web and it doesn't show up either as Flood or Flod. It seems to be listed as being in one of the Corries Songbooks. Hopefully someone has the songbook.

Subject: Flood Garry
From: Hillheader
Date: 27 Oct 01 - 07:12 AM

Does anyone know the word of Flood Garry as sung by he Corries?

Why am I asking -- of course you do!!!

Thanks in advance

Davebhoy

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV_Vpp0dY2A