Gypsy Rover - River Claydee

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: GUEST
Date: 05 May 12 - 12:25 AM

River Clady - Northern Ireland

http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/River-Clady-Portglenone-Ballymena-P7098

Two main tributaries of the Lower Bann, the Agivey and the Clady provide good sport when water levels are right with the Agivey being a highly productive small salmon river.

The song draws on earlier songs.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: curmudgeon
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 09:48 AM

The basis of this "ballad" is The Gypsy Laddies (Child 200).

Doing a quick search just now, I ran across this bit of information:

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The Whistling Gypsy, sometimes known simply as The Gypsy Rover, is a well-known ballad copyrighted by Dublin songwriter, Leo Maguire in about 1950 . Though often alleged to be an imitation of folk song, notably of "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy," versions of this variant that are nearly identical to Maguire's supposed composition appeared in print in 1919, 1927, 1935, and 1937. [1] Dorothy Scarborough's 1937 book A Song Catcher In Southern Mountains: American Folk Songs of British Ancestry includes a version that includes most of the same words that Maguire claimed to have written, including the "ah-dee-do" chorus that appears only in this version of the gypsy/lady tale.[2]

Perhaps some erudite Mudcatter who is familiar with this work can enlighten us further - Tom

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: GUEST,albannach
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 07:16 AM

As I understand it, this song is one derivation of a much older song whos origins are lost to history, so the chances are it has been modified. I know it is commonly held that traditional gypsy songs are associated to Ireland but I have been led to belive that the character in the song is a Scottish gypsy called Johnnie Faa. Johnnie was the King of the Scottish gypsies and lived in the Scottish borders in Yetholm near Kelso. This title was granted by King James IV. As is the case with most historical folklore the facts are sometimes confused. Some say he ran off with a lord's daughter but the usual tale is he ran off with Countess Cassilis. Again historical facts do not make this likely but then again never left the facts ruin a good story.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Girl Friday
Date: 18 Sep 08 - 02:20 PM

I'm told that there was a "traditional Irish song" that was written on a concrete sack. Could it be this one?

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 10:17 PM

I wonder if it's anything to do with "Claudy" (near Derry)? Although there's a song called "Claudy Banks" (which suggests a river) no one seems to know exactly where that is either, and there's a resurrected where-is-it thread about that too. But take a look at Phillipa's post of June 2003*

Lyr Add: Claudy Banks/Where are the Claudy Banks?

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=28611&messages=32

* There is a Claudy in County Derry; on this map. It's shown southeast of Derry city (it's about 10 miles away), towards Dungiven (not on the Foyle). There is a River Claudy in Co. Derry... A "River Clady" is mentioned in versions of the Whistling Gypsy / Gypsy Rover. I heard it sung with a long A sound, unlike the pronunciation of the Donegal River Clady near Meenaclady (Mín a' Chladaigh), Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair). Mention at this fishery site of a Claudy River in the same general area, perhaps refers to the same place? There is reference to the "Clady Banks" in the song "Green Fields of Gweedore", but also in this poem from the Finn Valley area further south in County Donegal. Clady, Co Tyrone is on the banks of the River Finn. There's also a River Clady in Co. Meath.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 05:32 PM

It just rhymes nicely with 'lady' and as the song is derived loosely from the ballad it doesn't have to be anywhere except in the writer's head!

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: GUEST,Girl Friday sans cookie
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 01:50 PM

Wikepedia has it has Claydee in lyrics attributed to Leo Maguire.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 11:01 AM

I've heard it that way too - but "shady" has already been used as a rhyme in the first verse, so it gives a bit more variety:

The gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady
He whistled and he sang 'til the greenwood rang
And he won the heart of a lady

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 09:03 AM

When I/we used to sing it (in the days when finding 'traditional' songs was difficult)it was:

They came down to a river bank
Away from the valley so shady
And there was wine, and there was song
For the gypsy and his lady.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Fiolar
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 08:25 AM

The version that I'm familiar with does not say River Claydee", but "River Slaney" which is in County Wexford.

Subject: RE: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 06:04 AM

Perhaps it's a manipulation of "River Clyde"? To make it rhyme with "lady"? This song was written by Leo Maguire (whose son John I used to play music with on Tuesday nights) and maybe he employed some poetic license? I'm not sure whether "Claydee" appears anywhere in the song's many historical ancestors (no time to check right now) but even if it does, it could still be a contrivance of "Clyde".

Subject: Gypsy Rover - River Claydee
From: Warsaw Ed
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 02:22 AM

A new thread is needed to get someattention to this query.
Where is the river "Claydee" and how does it relate to the lyrics to the song Gypsy Rover and/or The Wistling Gypsy? Ed