Lyr Req: Stornonway (Leaving Stornoway)

Subject: Lyr Req: Stornonway
From: RunrigFan
Date: 08 Feb 20 - 06:16 PM

Alasdair Gillies sang this song


In the morning I must leave you
I must leave you far behind
Smile for me and hide your sadness
Drive tomorrow from your mind
Far away the drums are beating
And I can no longer stay
For I leave my heart behind, here with you in Stornoway#

Hold me close against your heart love
For tomorrow, I must leave
I off to fight for king and country
And the land across the sea
But I know when battles raging
That my thoughts will ever stray
To the land I leave behind me
Here with you in Stornoway

And someday if God shall spare me
When the battles are o'er
When we raise the flag of freedom
I return to you once more
As the birds go???????????????????????????

https://open.spotify.com/track/5ezfd6wUUONyaeGzxYOmoM?si=OMIlWJR3QXKiTBgFkIDQQw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stornoway
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Feb 20 - 06:31 PM

I found a YouTube recording of "Leaving Stornoway," apparently from "Ceilidh Cowboy" Donnie Macdonald.

Here is the lyrics transcription from the YouTube video:

LEAVING STORNOWAY

In the morning I must leave you
I must leave you far behind
Smile for me and hide your sadness
Drive to-morrow from your mind
Far away the drums are beating
And I can no longer stay
But I leave my heart behind me
Here with you in Stornoway.

Hold me close against your heart love
For to-morrow I must leave
Off to fight for king and country
In the land across the sea
But I know when battle's raging
That my thoughts will ever stray
To the love I leave behind me
Here with you in Stornoway.

Come some day if God should spare me
When the battles all are o'er
When we raise the flag of freedom
I'll return to you once more
As the birds go winging homeward
At the closing of the day
I'll return to spend my days love
Here with you in Stornoway.

Here are the notes from the YouTube recording: Third largest settlement in the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides), Stornoway on Eileen Leodhais (Isle of Lewis & Harris) boasts an impressive baronial tower on Cnoc nan Uan, a hill overlooking its lovely harbour, castle, and town centre. This is a war memorial, built in tribute to the 1,151 Leodhasaich (Lewismen) who perished during the Great War (twice the rate of loss experienced by families elsewhere in the British Isles). Aye, the Isle of Lewis paid dear. Alas, as time erodes those tragic events from our collective consciousness, so the relentless Stornwegian rains are slowly eroding the memorial itself. Hopefully this fareweel by one such Stornwegian to his dearie on the eve of embarcation to duty will awaken in the listener for just a moment a wee flicker of respectful Remembrance. (Nary a fighting-age soul in our own MacRobbie family was spared in that conflict.) The "Me, Myself & I" Band first heard this rather obscure "auldie but guidie" on a scratchy vinyl put out by the late folksinger Willie John MacAuley sometime back in the early Eighties. One-time "Ceilidh Cowboy" Donnie Macdonald made a credible solo recording of it sometime or other, which we've dug out of our attic archives. We resurrect it here with our best attempt at being wannabee teuchter islanders in its singing. Here's tae Absent Friends.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stornonway (Leaving Stornoway)
From: GUEST,Rob Mad Jock Wright
Date: 11 Feb 20 - 05:07 AM

There is also Leaving Orkney by Angie Wright. It was inspired after a visit to the festival and the great fun had.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stornonway (Leaving Stornoway)
From: GUEST,Rob Mad Jock Wright
Date: 11 Feb 20 - 05:10 AM

It is on her CD CAPTIVE HEART and is available on Spotify, Amazon, and other platforms.