ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)

Subject: Adding New Lyrics - Both Sides the Tweed
From:
Date: 09 Apr 97 - 11:02 AM

I tried a search of the Digital Tradition on the words: "both sides tweed", hoping to find Both Sides the Tweed. I didn't find this song, but found it elsewhere and would like to see it added. How do I go about this?

Is there some reason why this well known song is not listed? Are there copyright considerations?

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Adding New Lyrics - Both Sides the Tweed
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Apr 97 - 12:42 PM

No problems; just one of the many, many songs that we haven't included yet. To submit a song, either post it here, or E-mail it to me at: [e-mail]

Subject: Lyr Add: BOTH SIDES THE TWEED (Dick Gaughan)
From: Alisdair
Date: 22 Apr 97 - 12:20 PM

BOTH SIDES THE TWEED
by Dick Gaughan

What's the spring-breathing jasmine and rose?
What's the summer with all its gay trains?
Or the splendour of autumn to those
Who've bartered freedom for gain?

CHORUS: Let the love of our land's sacred right
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on the both sides the Tweed

No sweetness the senses can achieve
Which corruption and bribery bind
No brightness that gloom can e'er gleam
For honour’s the sum of the mind. CHORUS

Let virtue distinguish the brave
Place riches in lowest degree
Think them poorest who can be a slave
Them richest who dare to be free. CHORUS
___________________________________

Hallo Mr. Greenhaus!

Slainte'...Ali

Subject: RE: Adding New Lyrics - Both Sides the Tweed
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Apr 97 - 02:01 PM

Thanx, Alisdair. Incidentally, Dick Gaughan is one of the many who have given us permission to include his work.

Subject: RE: Adding New Lyrics - Both Sides the Tweed
From:
Date: 23 Apr 97 - 12:50 PM

Cheers to Dick Gaughan!

Wish him thanx and good karma!

Subject: both sides the tweed
From:
Date: 09 Jun 97 - 07:34 PM

looking for chords for this song. Also tying to find out if this song is in the public domain

Subject: RE: both sides the tweed
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Jun 97 - 09:34 PM

Copyright Dich Gaughan

Subject: RE: Adding New Lyrics - Both Sides the Tweed
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Oct 97 - 09:38 PM

refresh thread

Subject: RE: Both sides the Tweed - what does it mean>
From:
Date: 16 Nov 97 - 08:17 AM

Out of interest, what exactly is this song about? Regards, Clara

Subject: RE: Both sides the Tweed
From: alison
Date: 16 Nov 97 - 07:26 PM

Hi,

Here is what Dick Gaughan says about it on his web page.

"This was written in 1979 shortly after the Scots returned a majority in favour of a separate Scottish Parliament but the vote was vetoed in the UK Parliament due to the actions of some Members from the North of England. There is an intentional irony in the fact that the original text was an attack upon the Treaty of Union of 1707 which abolished the independent Scots and English Parliaments and set up the United Kingdom.

The verses call for the recognition of Scotland's right to sovereignty and the choruses argue against prejudice between our peoples.

The Tweed is the river which forms part of the Scots-English border and is used here as a symbol of both the need for independence and the need for friendship and co-existance."

Slainte

Alison

---

Note from Joe Offer (6 July 2011): The Gaughan Website now says, "This was put into this form in 1979..."

Subject: DT Correction : Both Sides the Tweed
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 11:55 AM

Only one wee mistake really, should read 'Let friendship and honour unite'in the third line of the chorus. Note that although it doesn't say so, this second verse, IS actually sung as the chorus

BOTH SIDES THE TWEED
(Words trad, amended by Dick Gaughan / Music : Dick Gaughan )

What's the spring-breathing jasmine and rose?
What's the summer with all its gay train
Or the splendour of autumn to those
Who've bartered their freedom for gain?

    CHORUS:
    Let the love of our land's sacred rights
    To the love of our people succeed
    Let friendship and honour unite
    And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer
Which corruption and bribery bind
No brightness that gloom can e'er clear
For honour's the sum of the mind

Let virtue distinguish the brave
Place riches in lowest degree
Think them poorest who can be a slave
Them richest who dare to be free

http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/songs/texts/tweed.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Both Sides the Tweed (Dick Gaughan)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 01:40 PM

I Have heard it said that the words were based on a poem by James Hogg (the Ettrick shepherd), but there's a lengthy debate on that over on Footstompin!.
Is there really a hyphen in spring-breathing, or should it be spring - breathing? The latter seems to make n more sense!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Both Sides the Tweed (Dick Gaughan)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 02:07 PM

Sorry I just copy pasted the version from the DT It's been cloned, to make part of my opening comments irrelevant.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Both Sides the Tweed (Dick Gaughan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 02:43 PM

I had added DT-standardized formatting to the lyrics John posted, not noticing that he had just copy-pasted the DT lyrics and the mistake. Just now I replaced John's lyrics with those from the Dick Gaughan Website, and sent notice of the correction to the DT harvesters. As far as I can see, the only thing wrong with the DT is the missing "ship" in "friendship." Thanks for catching the mistake in the DT, John.



-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Both Sides the Tweed (Dick Gaughan)
From: GUEST,moira(flyingcat)
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 02:54 PM

just to add to the information. Dick Gaughan did not write both sides the tweed, he changed two or three words of the text which is printed in my version of Hogg's jacobite Relics (1819) along with the original tune. There is most definately a hyphen between spring and breathing in this version. This version of Hogg's has the chorus:

Let the love of our King's sacred right
To the love of our people succeed.
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed

Hope this is helpful

Moira

Subject: ADD Version: Both Sides the Tweed
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 03:13 PM

English Jacobite ballads, songs, & satires, etc: From the mss. at Towneley ... edited by Alexander Balloch Grosart (1877), page 85:

BOTH SIDES THE TWEED
A Song.

What's the Spring, breathing Jessamine and Rose,
What's the Summer, with all its Gay train;
What's the Plenty of Autumn to those
Who have bartered their freedom for Gain.
               
CHORUS
Let the Love of your King's Sacred right,
To the Love of your Country Succeed,
Let Freindship & Honour unite
And Flourish on Both Sides the Tweed.

No Sweetness those Senses can share
Which Corruption & Bribery bind:
No calmness that Heart e'er can chear •
For Honour's the Sun of the Mind.
CHORUS

Let Virtue distinguish the brave
place riches in lowest degree,
Think him poorest who can be a Slave,
Him richest who dares to be free.
CHORUS

Let us think how our Ancestors rose,
Let us think how our Ancestors fell,
'twas their rights they defended, 'twas those
They bought with their Blood wch we Sell.
CHORUS

(Spelling errors and variants are as in the original)

Subject: ADD Version: Both Sides the Tweed
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 03:27 PM

The Jacobite relics of Scotland: being the songs, airs, and legends, of the adherents to the house of Stuart, collected and illustrated by James Hogg. Printed for W. Blackwood, 1819 - page 126 (with melody notation)


BOTH SIDES THE TWEED

What's the spring - breathing jess'mine and rose,
What's the summer, with all its gay train,
Or the plenty of autumn, to those
Who've barter'd their freedom for gain?
     Let the love of our king's sacred right,
     To the love of our country succeed;
     Let friendship and honour unite,
     And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer,
Which corruption and bribery blind;
No brightness that gloom e'er can clear,
For honour's the sun of the mind.
Let the love, &c.

Let virtue distinguish the brave,
Place riches in lowest degree;
Think him poorest who can be a slave,
Him richest who dares to be free.
Let the love, &c.

Let us think how our ancestors rose,
Let us think how our ancestors fell,
The rights they defended, and those
They bought with their blood we'll ne'er sell.
Let the love, &c.

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 Jul 11 - 09:29 AM

Thanks for that, Joe. I have heard Elsa Lemaitre from the Scottish Borders singing this version with a couple of friends: it had a different tune from Dick's.
I particularly remember the different wording the chorus -"King's" instead of "lands'".
Emily Smith also does her own tune to Dick's set of words.

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: GUEST,tune? composed or recalled?
Date: 07 Jun 12 - 03:04 PM

Hi I have heard some debate about this. It did seem familiar when I heard it but I may have heard an irish version when a teen , after Dick recorded it . Does anyone know more of that aspect of the song please?

many thanks
catherine

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jun 12 - 03:36 PM

Dick's tune always reminds me of this

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Jun 12 - 04:14 PM

It's also much like "Rosin the Beau" slowed down and modally mutated a bit.

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Jun 12 - 04:20 PM

Jack, that's brilliant! It goes up in the right places and down in the right places, but stops elsewhere than RtB does.

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: ollaimh
Date: 07 Jun 12 - 09:22 PM

i prefer then origional lyrics--being from an old jacobite family. i sing it to harp but i am sure i have altered the melody and hence my chords aren't much to recomend

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 07:40 PM

The song first appears in the manuscripts of David Herd (1732-1810) with contents dating from pre 1776 to 1803.
Probably closer to 1776 than 1803 as he did most of his collecting for his 1769 and 1776 editions of his Ancient Scottish Songs.

It is given the title:
"What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose"

Appears in manuscripts of David Herd, MS I, 128a, and MS II 72a.

MS I was given by David Herd himself to Archibald Constable in 1803. Herd's entries date from two different periods, one prior to his 1776 edition of his Ancient Scottish Songs, and one after its appearance.

MS II contains numerous entries after 1776.

In MS II 72a contains what appears to be an original of "What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose" written by a correspondent and forwarded to Herd.

Song collected by James Hogg (1770-1835) in 1819.
Published in his:
The Jacobite relics of Scotland; being the songs, airs and legends of the adherents to the house of Stuart. pp.126-127.

James Hogg's principal source was Walter Scott, whom was given David Herd's manuscript about 1798 which he made use of for his Border Minstrelsy in 1802.

Herd gives MS II to Archibald Constable in 1803.
Burns had access to the MS from 1787 which he used for Johnston's Scotts Musical Museum. Joseph Ritson and others had access around this time.




"What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose"

Printed in:
Songs from David Herd's Manuscripts,
by Hanz Hecht, editor, 1904, pp. 269-270.
Taken from manuscripts of David Herd (1732-1810), MS I, 128a, and MS II 72a.


What's the spring breathing jessmine and rose,
What's the summer, with all its gay train,
Or the plenty of autumn to those
Who've bartered their freedom for gain?

Chorus:
Let the love of our king's legal right,
To the love of our country succeed;
Let friendship and honour unite,
And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer,
That corruption and bribery do blind;
No brightness that gloom ever clear,
For honour's the sun of the mind.

(chorus)

Let virtue distinguish the brave,
Place ritches in lowest degree;
Think him poorest who can be a slave,
Him ritchest who dares to be free.

(chorus)

Let us think how our ancestors rose,
Let us think how our ancestors fell,
Tis' the rights they defended, tis' those
They bought wi' their blood we do sell.

(chorus)

Subject: RE: ADD/Origins: Both Sides the Tweed (trad/Gaughan)
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 10 Feb 21 - 07:46 PM

Slight correction

Herd gives only MS I to Archibald Constable in 1803, not MS II.