Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay (Roberton)

Subject: Ah fol de la lay
From:
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 09:55 AM

Hi I hope someone can help me track down the lyrics to a song whose title I don't even know (not helpful, I know.) Some of the words are the only pointers I have. They go like this:

'Who cares if you come from the high road and I from the low
Or if your skin is black or whiter than snow/ ------
As long as there's fire in the blood and light in the eye.

The chorus is just
"ah, fol de la lay, ah fol de la lay.

Many thanks, T

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 10:45 AM

The chorus goes "Air fah lah lah loh, horo, air fah lah lah lee", rather than how you remember it.

My mother used to sing this to me as a child.

Unfortunately I have had no luck finding the lyrics on the net, but I am sure somebody will come along and help.

Murray

Subject: Lyr Add: AIR FA LA LA LO (Hugh Roberton)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 01:11 PM

Found this on a MacAlmans site given as traditional arranged Hugh Roberton, he was the conductor of one of the most wonderful choirs ever heard, the Glasgow Orpheus Choir

AIR FA LA LA LO
(Hugh Roberton)

There's a lilt in the song I sing, there's laughter and love.
There's a tang from the sea and blue from heaven above.
Of reason there's none and why should there be forby?
But the fire in the blood and toes and the light in the eye.

CHORUS:
Air fa la la lo horo er fa la la lay.
Air fa la la lo horo er fa la la lay.
Air fa la la lo horo er fa la la lay.
Fa li fa lo horo er fa la la lay.

The heather's ablaze wi' bloom the myrtle is sweet.
There's a song in the air the roads a song at our feet.
So step it along as light as the bird on the wing.
And stepping along let's join our voices and sing.

Chorus:

And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be white or black as the sloe.
Of kith and of kin we are one be it right be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of the song.

Chorus:

Jock

McCalmans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zAUXEI1qPM

Seamus Kennedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oCw7sPWnw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: CapriUni
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 03:32 PM

Giok -- may we have the URL to that MacAlmans site, please? Google can't seem to find it...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 03:48 PM

Web site address-- www.mccalmans.co.uk/texts html -- for the list of their song words, or/airfa.html for this song.

Rgds

Jock

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: CapriUni
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 05:49 PM

Jock --

tried to go there...

got a "file not found" message

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 06:18 PM

I have a version by the Dubliners on a compilation CD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 09:38 PM

It's in the DT, but as is depressingly normal here, it was transcribed by somebody who didn't know how the title was usually spelled, or where it came from, so it's not terribly easy to find.  It also contains more mistakes than the McCalmans set...

AR FA LA LA LOW

Naturally, no tune is given and as usual poor old Hugh Roberton, who wrote the lyric (nearly as quoted by Giok,around 1938) to a traditional tune, doesn't get a mention.  I rather think that somebody has sent in a tune for it, but it doesn't seem to be available at the moment, so I've made a midi from the notation as given in Roberton's Songs of the Isles (1950); as ever, until it gets to the  Mudcat Midi Pages,  it can be heard via the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

Air Falalalo

Subject: ADD: Ah fol de la lay
From: Jimmy C
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 12:55 AM

Malcolm, the version I heard is almost the same as yours with the following small amendments.

AR FA DE LA LOW

There's a lilt in this song I sing, there's laughter and love
There's a tang of the sea and blue from heaven above
Of reason there's none, and why should there be forbye
As long as there's fire in the blood and toe and a light in the eye

Ar fal de la low ho row ere fal de la lay
Ar fal de la low ho row ere fal de la lay
Ar fal de la low ho row ere fal de la lay hey
Fal de fal do ho ro aire fal de la lay

The heather's ablaze with bloom, and myrtle the sea
There's a song in the air, the road a song at our feet
So step we along as light as a bird on the wing
And as we are stepping we'll join our voices and sing
CHORUS

And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no
and whether the skin be white or black as the slough
Of kith and of kin we are one be it right be it wrong
As long as our voices join the chorus of song
CHORUS


BTW, Seamus Kennedy does a great job on his "Favourites" CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Jimmy C
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 12:59 AM

Sorry, 1st verse should be >br>

There's a lilt in this song I sing, there's laughter and love
There's a tang of the sea and blue from heaven above
Of reason there's none, and why should there be forbye
As long as there's fire in the blood and toe and a light in the eye

1st line of 2nd verse should read >br> The heather's ablaze with bloom, and myrtle the sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 03:58 PM

The web site address works OK I tried it just now no prob.#

Jock

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: GUEST,Queynt
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 01:51 PM

I used to sing this 50-odd years ago and the chorus went........

Air fa la la lo, horo, air fal la la lay,

Air fa la la lo, horo, air fal la la lay,

Air fa la la lo, horo, air fal la la la - ay,

Fa lee fa lo, horo, air fal la la lay,

(The 'Air' is of course the Gaelic pronunciastion 'err")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Jun 07 - 03:39 PM

"Air Falalolo" as sung by Kenneth McKellar on an old London lp, "The Tartan." My favorite McKellar lp. Music arr. Bob Sharples.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: GUEST,jim
Date: 17 Jun 08 - 07:14 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 12:51 PM

Does anyone know the source of the tune? What the Gaelic song or tune was called?

Subject: RE:Air fa la la lo
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 05:45 PM

The verses in English given here were also recorded by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem.

There is a song in Gaelic with the same tune and the same chorus. Searching online I found these lyrics and translation (which on quick glance appears correct)

Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Fail i, fail ò, horò, air fail a lail é

A' bhuachaille bhàin mas aill leat labhairt air thùs
Gur a leat-sa gun dàil mo làmh ma thig thu le mùirn
Gur truagh mar a tha nach do thàrladh mise agus tu
Ann an eilean gun tràigh, gun ràmh gun choite, gun stiùir

Ma théid thu air sàil, a ghraidh, bidh gini 'ad' phòc'
Is òl mo dheoch-slàint'gach àit an suidh thu mun bhòrd
Le d'chride geal, aotrom, éibhneach, aighearrach òg
Gur toigh leam am beul o'm bìnn a thigeadh an ceòl

Gur toigh leam an deud 's am beul nach labhradh le sgràing
Bhi sinnte ri m' thaobh, a ghaoil nan tigeadh tu ann
Mur bhiodh luchd nam breug bha m'eudail is mise gun taing
Le òrdugh na cléir le chéile 'n ceangal gu lann

Nach robh mis' is thu am beinn no monadh no sliabh
No air an traigh bhàn an àite nach robh duine riamh
Seachd oidhche, seachd là, gun tàmh gun chadal gun bhiadh
Ach thus' a bhi 'ghràidh 's do làmh gheal tharam gu fial.

[Ar Fa La La Lo]

Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Air fàil a lail ò, horò, air fàil a lail é
Fail i, fail ò, horò air fail a lail é

Oh, fair-haired cow-herd, if it is your desire to be first to speak:
My hand is yours if you come to me with joy.
It is sad that being together is not our destiny,
On an isle with no shore, without boat or rudder or oar.

If you go to sea, my dear, there will be a guinea in your pocket,
And drink to my health each place that you sit at the table.
With your pure, glad and joyful heart,
I desire the mouth from which comes forth the music.

I so like the mouth, the tooth that would not with rancor speak,
Lying beside me, my darling, if only you'd come:
Were not the gossipers there my dear I'd give thanks,
With order of clergy our binding together forever.

Would that you and I, on mountain, on moor or on heath,
Or on the white beach in a place where no one e'er was
Seven nights, seven days, without respite, without sleep without food
But just you and I my dear, and your arm's protection around me.

https://broadsideelectric.bandcamp.com/track/air-f-il-a-lail-ar-fa-la-la-lo (incorrectly identifies the language as Irish Gaelic rather than Scots Gaelic)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Air fàil a lail ò
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 06:06 PM

In the MacDonald Collection of Gaelic Poetry (published in 1911), the song is given the title Am Buchaile Bán (the fair-haired boy), but that is a title given to other songs as well. Be careful reading the automated text transcription; refer back to the digital image of the original. The lyrics are similar to those given in the previous message.
https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/76730064

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 06:10 PM

the transcription I referred to can be seen at https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/76730064?&mode=transcription

Subject: RE: Air fàil a lail ò
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 08:13 PM

upbeat recording by Talitha McKenzie, in Gaelic but with a bit of an African flavour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOrZxStDTm0
words and translation (similar to the first set of Gaelic lyrics I posted in this thread)
http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/mouthmusic/air.htm

Am Buachaille Ban, Cathy Ann McPhee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqMbtJMXwxc (chorus,         
Air fàlarainn ò, hug ò air fàlarainn ì         
Air fàlarainn ò, hug ò air fàlarainn ì
Fail-ì, fail-ò, thug ò air fàlarainn ì         
Ochòin, a ghaoil, gum b' aotrom aighearach sinn

Subject: RE: tune required Ar fa la la lo
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Oct 20 - 04:41 PM

I know the tune both the English and Gaelic language songs are usually sung to, but I would like to know if the tune Hugh Roberton noted for his English words is any different. Malcolm Douglas posted a link to a midi based on Roberton's "Songs of the Isles" (1950) on 07 Oct 01, but it now leads to the Folk Network page current postings. How do I find that tune on the Folk Network site, assuming it is still there? The tune never made it to the Mudcat midis apparently.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah fol de la lay
From: RunrigFan
Date: 25 Apr 22 - 08:56 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeBlwvunRGM&list=OLAK5uy_lY0LtjlTyD1TiOG064Wp2uHucUbmLopHQ&index=5