Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)

Subject: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,Joakim
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 05:24 PM

Hi! I really love this old Andy Stewart song called "Goin doon the watter fur the ferr", but I'm not sure I understand the lyrics right. He says that he wount go to Monte Carlo or Gay Pari, and prefers to go doon the watter fur the ferr. He later says "We'll sail away, to Roxie Bay", or Rozzie bay or something like that, so I guess he is sailing down a river in a sail boat or something. Is this "The Ferr", some kind of river? Thank you in advance!

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 05:36 PM

"the Ferr" is the Glasgow Fair, which is the annual Glasgow holiday occurring in the second two weeks of July each year. (Edinburgh has a similar annual holiday in the first two weeeks of July , known as the "Edinburgh Trades")

Rothesay was ( and is ) a holiday resort on the Isle of Bute, much favoured by Glaswegians for spending their annual two week holiday.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,Scabby Douglas
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 10:00 PM

And "doon the watter" (literally, "down the water") specifically means making a journey down the Firth of Clyde - the estuary of the River Clyde - from Glasgow.

Doon the watter is never used to refer to any other river or sea trip.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Jim Lad
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 10:25 PM

and "The Waverly" would be the mode of transportation.
I don't know if it was mentioned in the song.
However, when departing from Rothesay to make their way back home, one of the last things passengers would see was banner proclaiming "Haste Ye Back", the closing song for Andy's "White Heather Club".
Kind of takes the thing full circle.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,phil wil
Date: 15 Oct 10 - 08:27 PM

the fair - Archbishop Jocelyn in the 12 century declared there would be a fair held on the green at glasgow on the third monday in July (he knew when the risk of rain was greatest !) With the industrial revolution this became the "trades holiday" (unpaid)and the city closed for a week and went doon the watter to the various villages and towns.
ROTHESAY is not an easy name to enunciate in the glasgow dialect so it becomes rozzie or roasay rossie etc

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Oct 10 - 08:40 PM

Joakim, I think the song you're looking for is the Song of the Clyde (probably more associated with Kenneth McKellar) - as posted by Teru in the middle of this thread here: it certainly mentions going "doon the watter for the Fair" and Rothesay (the main town on the Isle of Bute).

thread.cfm?threadid=7025#113818

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 04:12 AM

"Goin doon the watter fur the ferr" and "Song of the Clyde" are completely different songs.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,jock tamson
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 07:06 PM

we had a rerr terr at err at the ferr -we had a rare tear (as in tearaway) at Ayr at the fair.
We had extraordinary fun at Ayr at the Fair.
Ayr another town doon the watter.
An example of "doon the watter" comedians' humour

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 08:44 PM

Dave, but looking at his discography, he did do quite a lot of medleys of songs, including one which included both Song of the Clyde and Rothesay Bay, and others in between. Googling Doon the Water for the fair (or watter) repeatedly brings up Song of the Clyde, but no other song.
But I have failed to find the one that mentions Monte Carlo and Gay Paree,so perhaps you can kindly post the words and/or tune, since you seem to know it?

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 11:14 PM

Eureka, I found the lyrics to this wonderful song "Doon the Watter". Had to search on the unlikely phrase "my father worked for buttons in the wee dry salter's shop"
and it popped up, as I guess liner notes from an Alex Beaton album. Page down to pg 4 or somewhere thereabouts.

http://clanmcmuffin.com/cdinthescottishtradition.pdf

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 11:53 AM

I don't have the words, but I do remember that the McKellar song was in 3/4 and "Doon the watter fur the ferr" was in 4/4. It was a long time ago.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 12:17 PM

In reply to pattyClink, the song 'Days o' Doon The Watter' is another Iain Ingram song, based on his childhooe memories of heading doon the watter at the Clydebank Fair (first fortnight of July.
A line from the song gave or group the name 'Kilts 'n' Co-op Sandals' when we went out performing Iain's songs during the early 1980s, also the Fringe show we performed at Edinburgh in 1984; it was also the name of our limited edition cassette produced later that year, a copy of which was given to Alex Beaton by someone who had bought it presumably at one of our gigs? (We didny do very many!)
Don't know how many of Iain's songs Alex used, certainly Summer Romances and I believe Puddles (two of the 'funnies')- I'll try to follow that link and see what else is said in Alex Beaton's sleeve notes.
I'll type out the song words later (Days o' Doon The Watter'), no time just now - but harking back to the original thread title you may be interested to know there is a monthly session / folk night at Whistlefield Inn, Loch Eck - called the Doon The Watter Folk Club!!
Also, somone previously mentioned the Waverley - not sure when the Song o the Clyse was written, but people were travelling doon the water ferra Ferr for many years, well before the war and probably back in the late 1800s - I'll check with the Castle House Museum for when the piers in Dunoon, Innellan etc were opened, they are at least 100 years old I think.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 01:03 PM

The Waverley, The Talisman, and the Jeannie Deans, among many others, were the transport of my distant youth. Many steamers were christened with names taken from the works of Sir Walter Scott.
Many were the trips I took 'doon the watter' and across it too, from Gourock to Fairlie, or Dunoon.
Plenty of nostalgia here

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,phil wil
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 05:50 PM

John Mackenzie stirs old memories. When I was 15 in the late 40s the boss told me I would have to go Doon the watter once a month to see which jobs reqired the attention of a tradesman. What a gift. I sailed to all those forgotten piers Blairmore kilcregan kilmun strone innellan on those wonderful named paddle steamers. The deck hands all spoke in highland tones and wore jumpers with Caledonian steam packet company on their chests.more names Jupitor. Marchioness of lorne Countess of---A priveledge to sail in them before they dissapeared.
British rail tried to keep the culture alive as late as the mid 60s running an evening excursion from glasgow central to Craigendoran(remember)to lochranza, bus to Brodick and return to Gourock and glasgow central Deprt 1700 return 2100
Andy stewart sings the song on youtube.

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,Phil wil
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 06:17 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYWq-uIgzU

Goin doon the watter fur the fair -clear sung lyrics -

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 06:19 PM

Thanks Phil wil, just found it meself: clickable link here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYWq-uIgzU

Subject: Lyr Add: DAYS O' DOON THE WATTER (Iain Ingram)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 19 Oct 10 - 06:00 PM

DAYS O' DOON THE WATTER
by Iain Ingram

1. Ma faither worked fer buttons in a wee dry-salter's shop
But we were young and didnae huv a care
Oor shoes a' scuffed and worn, oor dungarees a' torn
Oor sloppy-joes jist wernae fir tae wear
Noo me and ma wee brither we were headaches tae ma mither
Dirty fer the best part o' the year
But she hud us clean as whistles in oor kilts an' Co-op sandals
When we went doon the watter fer the Ferr.

CHORUS: And we're sainin' doon the Clyde, Sailin' doon the Clyde
An' headin fer Kilcreggan in the mornin'
Then on tae Rothesay Bay, we leave on Setturday
Tae catch the Jeannie Deans fae Craigendorran.

2. The holidays was a' I think that kept ma faither gaun,
A time that he enjoyed as much as me
The faimily a'thegither' we didnae mind the weather,
He'd laugh and sing and bounce us on each knee
Oh toora-loora-liday, Ah finish work on Friday
His troubles seemed tae vanish in the air
But noo he's gone forever like the steamers on the river
That went sailin' doon the watter fer the Ferr.

3. The golden age o paddle steamers sadly disappeared
And Simmertime just doesn't seem the same
Those days o' river cruisin', that slowly we were losin'
An era that will never come again.
And noo we fly tae Malta, Majorca and Gibraltar,
France and Spain and sunny Italy
And the kids all think it's Heaven like the Clyde for me at seven
But the days o' doon the watter gone for me.


N.B. This is from memory, I'll need to listen to the tape to check words—and as usual if you want the tune you'll have to speak to me or Iain—till I manage to get him onto that site where people post themselves singing!!!!!

Subject: Lyr Add: GOING DOON THE WATTER (FUR THE FERR)
From: GUEST,bigdaviedoc
Date: 19 Oct 10 - 07:59 PM

Is this the version you're after? It took me ages to get my hands on it too!


GOING DOON THE WATTER (FUR THE FERR)

1. We could have gone to Monte Carlo. We could have gone to gay Paree.
We could have gone to Honolulu, or to the beach at Waikiki.
We could have gone to some island paradise, and there have had a tear,
But there was no appeal, we feel, real, like going doon the watter fur the ferr!

CHORUS: And so we're going doon the watter. Ach! We're going doon the watter fur the ferr.
We'll wend our way to Rothesay Bay, 'cause our heart lies there,
Or you can sing of Carolina, but nothing could be finer to be there,
But oh, for you and I in mid July, we're going doon the watter fur the ferr!

2. We could have gone down south to Blackpool. We could have gone up north to Wick.
We could have gone east to St. Andrews. Oh yes, we could have had our pick.
We could have said "olé" down South America way, where sunny skies are fair,
But we were sent and spent our lolly on going doon the watter fur the ferr! CHORUS

3. We could have sailed a boat in Venice. We could have seen bull fights in Spain.
We could have returned to Sorrento, and seen the Seratoma bar again.
We could have fallen for Niagara, and spooned with honeymooners there,
But way out west was best, we knew it, and so we're going doon the watter fur the ferr! CHORUS

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 19 Oct 10 - 08:03 PM

"Days o' Doon the Watter" definitely isn't the one that Andy Stewart sang. Here's the blue clicky for the link above:

We could have.............but we're goin doon the watter fur the ferr

Subject: RE: Doon the watter fur the ferr
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 20 Oct 10 - 09:14 AM

Hi Dave,
Days o' Doon the Watter wasn't written by Iain Ingram till the early '80s, Andy Stewart was doing his stuff about 20 years earlier - pattyClink had mentioned finding Iain's song online, just wanted to pass on the lyrics!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST,phil wil
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 11:50 AM

thanks tattie boggle -don't know much about computers and didn;t know how to put in direct link Good rendering for a 78

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 06:15 PM

I remember standing on the pier at craigendorran with my mum dad and siblings waiting to get on one of the paddle steamers Jeannie Dean or the Waverly

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Aug 19 - 08:41 AM

You all talk of Andy Stewart Did not see Francie and Josie do this number -Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 31 Aug 19 - 10:13 AM

I'm sure Gavin Paterson featured it recently on his Tuesday Ballad and Balladeers radio show at Celtic Music Radio.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 01 Sep 19 - 08:16 AM

As far as I can seem It is a relatively modern music hall type song, written by Neil Grant and Andy Stewart, old in style - but modern in writing   No doubt Andy would have been responsible for the lyrics, as he was more of a wordsmith who set lyrics to tunes.
For some reason others went totally off onto other songs..when thread creep drifted in.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 02 Sep 19 - 07:01 AM

....appropriate sounding name for original Q in this thread! (Rossey)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Going Doon the Watter (fur the Ferr)
From: GUEST,Eddie
Date: 02 Sep 19 - 08:59 AM

My father spent 35 years in the Navy so I understood why, if we were sailing "doon the watter". he always went down below to check the engines. I did wonder why, when he came back, his breath always smelt of beer!