Lyr Req: Will You Come to the Bower (Thomas Moore)

Subject: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: mack/misophist
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 11:55 AM

One of the few times an army has gone into battle to the sound of a love song was when Sam Houston's men attacked General Santa Ana at the battle of San Jacinto. Two musicians played WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE SHADED FOR YOU by the Irish poet, Thomas Moore.

Will you come to the bower I have shaded for you? Our bed shall be roses all spangled with dew. Will you, will you, will you, will you Come to the bower? There, under the bower, on roses you'll lie, With a blush on your cheek, but a smile in your eye. Will you,will you, will you, will you Smile, my beloved?

These are all the lyrics I've been able to find. If someone has the rest, and most especially, the music, I would be much obliged.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: mack/misophist
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 12:02 PM

Will you come to the bower I have shaded for you?
Our bed shall be roses, all shaded with dew.
Will you, will you, will you, will you,
Come to the bower?

There, under the bower, on roses you'll lie,
With a blush on your cheek, but a smile in your eye.
Will you, will you, will you, wil;l you,
Smile, my beloved?

Sorry for forgetting the breaks.

Subject: Lyr Add: COME TO THE BOWER (Fenian version)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 12:31 PM

Moore's "Come to the Bower" is as follows. Is this a different song?

1. Will you come to the bower o'er the free boundless ocean
Where the stupendous waves roll in thundering motion,
Where the mermaids are seen and the fierce tempest gathers,
To loved Erin the green, the dear land of our fathers."
Will you come, will you, will you, will you come to the bower?

Chorus:
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?

2. Will you come to the land of O'Neill and O'Donnell
Of Lord Lucan of old and immortal O'Connell.
Where Brian drove the Danes and Saint Patrick the vermin
And whose valleys remain still most beautiful and charming?
Chorus:

3. You can visit Benburb and the storied Blackwater,
Where Owen Roe met Munroe and his Chieftains did slaughter
Where the lambs skip and play on the mossy all over,
From those bright golden views to enchanting Rostrevor.
Chorus:

4. You can see Dublin city, and the fine groves of Blarney
The Bann, Boyne, and Liffey and the Lakes of Killarney,
You may ride on the tide on the broad majestic Shannon
You may sail round Loch Neagh and see storied Dungannon.
Chorus:

5. You can visit New Ross, gallant Wexford, and Gorey,
Where the green was last seen by proud Saxon and Tory,
Where the soil is sanctified by the blood of each true man
Where they died satisfied that their enemies they would not run from.
Chorus:

6. Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
And the air will resound with hosannahs to greet you
On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you.
Chorus:
(From HERE).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 12:52 PM

The title given is "Will You Come to the Bower" HERE, with the words (though there're minor differences) above.
Instrumental sheet music of "Will You Come to the Bower" is HERE, without the name of Thomas Moore. (Scroll down to near the bottom).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: kendall
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 01:19 PM

They played that tune because it was the only one they all knew.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 01:31 PM

I've always assumed that the version Masato posted was a Fenian song, calling for exiles in Amerikay to return and fight for the cause and thus late 19th/early 20th century.

I'd never heard of the Moore version before, but it would seem to be the parent of the rebel/travelogue version.

Anyone got defintive dates on the two songs?

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER (Thomas Moore)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 01:41 PM

The text Masato quotes is in the DT, here: COME TO THE BOWER, with tune, uncredited to Moore.

A music sheet of the other lyric can be seen at The Lester Levy Sheet Music Collection:

Will You Come to the Bower No date of publication or composer[s] named.

There are quite a few examples of the "shaded for you" lyric from the first half of the 19th century at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, all credited to Moore in the catalogue, though not on most of the sheets themselves. There are also a couple of other texts which prescribe the tune, one of which is dated between 1744 and 1768, before Moore was born, so we may safely assume that he based his text -or texts- on an earlier song. Here is a set of lyrics taken from one, Will you come to the bower ("Will you come to the bower I have shaded for you ...") Printed & Sold by Th. Ash, 9, Red Lion Court, Watling St. (no date), "Sung by Mr. [Charles Benjamin] Incledon":


WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER
(Words by Thomas Moore)

1. Will you come to the bow'r I have shaded for you
Our bed shall be roses all spangled with dew
Will you, will you, will you, will you come to the bow'r
Will you, will you, will you, will you come to the bow'r.

2. Then under the bower on roses you'll lie
With a blush on your cheeks and a smile in your eye.

3. But the roses we press shall not rival your lip
Nor the dew be so sweet as the kisses we'll sip.

4. And oh! for those joys that are sweeter than dew
From languishing roses or kisses from you.

Two different texts, and evidently an earlier one, too. Colm O Lochlainn (Irish Street Ballads), printed a set of the "travelogue" text, with music, from P. Walsh of Clogher Valley, Tír Éoghain; no author is mentioned. I'd have thought that O Lochlainn would have known if Moore was responsible for it, but maybe not. At any rate, it seems likely that the short text is the older of the two we have here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 02:17 PM

My link to the Levy example goes to an expired query page; this one goes direct to the image:
WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: mack/misophist
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 03:31 PM

Dear Sirs,

Thanks for the splendid help. To Kendall: They played that tune because Sam Houston, who was born in Ireland, asked them to. The second was Yankee Doodle. After that, music was superfluous.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER I HAVE
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 04:36 PM

Snuffy`s definition was right, two different songs.Moore was a long time dead when second version was penned. Lough Neagh.

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER (Thomas Moore)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 08:07 PM

From The Works of Thomas Moore, Comprehending All His Melodies, Ballads, etc., Vol. 5 (Paris: A. and W. Galignani, 1823), page 205:


WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER?
Thomas Moore

1. Will you come to the bower I have shaded for you?
Our bed shall be roses all spangled with dew.
Will you, will you, will you, will you
Come to the bower?

2. There, under the bower, on roses you'll lie,
With a blush on your cheek, but a smile in your eye.
Will you, will you, will you, will you
Smile, my beloved?

3. But the roses we press shall not rival your lip,
Nor the dew be so sweet as the kisses we'll sip.
Will you, will you, will you, will you
Kiss me, my love?

4. And oh! for the joys that are sweeter than dew
From languishing roses, or kisses from you.
Will you, will you, will you, will you,
Won't you, my love?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Come to the Bower (Thomas Moore)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 10:08 AM

"Will you, will you, will you, will you,
Come to the bower?"

I believe I know now where Lewis Carroll got the idea for "Willyouwon'tyouwillyouwon'tyouwillyouwon'tyou join the dance?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Come to the Bower (Thomas Moore)
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 01:46 PM

If I remember correctly, the tune is that of the nursery song about Mrs Bond and her ducks. Which came first?

Subject: Lyr Add: COME TO THE BOWER
From: Reiver 2
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 07:44 PM

The version of this song that I've heard here in the States is not credited to anyone. {Understandably, I think, as you will observe.] I have it in two songbooks I purchased in Ireland. The lyrics are slightly different, but both carry "notes" to the effect that it was a homecoming "call to Irishmen abroad but especially in America to return to the home country to win our final freedom from oppression and tyranny" [in the book "100 Irish Ballads"] and "This song was meant as a home-coming to the exiled Irish and in particular to the American supporters of the Fenian movement," [in "Folksongs and Ballads Popular in Ireland, Vol. 1."]

The lyrics in the first are as follows with variations in the 2nd version in {brackets}


COME TO THE BOWER

Will you come to the bower o'er the free boundless ocean
Where the stupendous waves roll in thunder and [thundering] motion,
Where the mermaids are seen and the fierce tempest gathers.
To love[d] Erin the green the dear land of our fathers.

CHO: Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower.

Will you come to the land of O'Neill and O'Donnell,
The patriot soldiers of Tirowen and Tirconnell
[Of Lord Lucan of old and the immortal O'Connell]
Where Brian drove the Danes and Sain Patrick the vermin
And whose valleys remain remain still most beautiful and charming. CHORUS

You can visit Benburb and the storied Blackwater
Where Owen Roe met Monroe and his chieftans of [did] slaughter.
You may ride on the tide of the broad mystic Shannon;
[Where the lambs skip and play on the mossey all over]
You may sail round Lough Neagh and see storied Dungannon.
[From those golden bright views to enchanting Rostrevor]. CHORUS

[You can see Dublin city and the fine groves of Blarney
The Bann, Boyne, the Liffey, and the Lakes of Killarney;
You may ride on the tide o'er the broad majestic Shannon;
You may sail round Loch Neagh and see storied Dungannon.]

You can visit New Ross, gallant Wexford and Gorey,
Where the green was last seen by proud Saxon and Tory;
Where the soil is sanctified by the blood of each true man;
Where they died satisfied, their enemies they would not run from. CHORUS

Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
And her fetters we will break, links that long are encumbered
And the air will resound with Hosannas to greet you
On the shores will be found gallant Irishmen to meet you. CHORUS


The 2nd version has an extra verse. All I can say is that if these were the best the Fenians could offer as recruiting songs, it's not surprising that they failed to be more successful in the early efforts for independence. The song is much more effective, I think, as a love ballad as Thomas Moore wrote it! The tune is pleasant as a love song. What's the origin of the tune... or did I miss that in earlier discussions?

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Come to the Bower (Thomas Moore)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 01:36 PM

Long ago, a friend played an LP for me ("Golden Guinea" label, Irish production, I think), which, if I recall, had "Come to the Bower" with most of Thomas Moore's lyrics. I remember one phrase which went, I believe, "...with the little stars above ye..."

I think it was part of an Irish musical drama. Have tried for years to track down the lyrics and that album, which may have been released in the early 1970's/late 1960's.

Both the music and the lyrics were extremely beautiful.

Would appreciate any help in tracking down that album.

Thank you.

PIH