Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Jim McLean
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 04:33 PM

Yes, Gutcher, I had thought of that tune, I've used it myself, but I have never heard your lyrics. I like it. The Burns song Willie Wastle has a similar take on this theme. I set it to Tail Toddle (adapted) a different air from that in Johnson's Musical Museum. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Gutcher
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 03:24 PM

Jim---try it to the tune of "Bonny Dundee"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Jim McLean
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 06:27 AM

Sorry, Gutcher, never heard that one before.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Gutcher
Date: 03 Jul 13 - 03:03 AM

Two examples given of verses used to remind folk of the tune "The Barren Rocks of Aden".
Many other tunes had verses for the same purpose.
I"ll wager Jim can give the tune for the following verse:---

O mah bonnie wee, bonnie wee, Mary Mackie
She"s the lassie I"ll loe till the day that I die
Wi a bile on her back and a sty in her eye
She"s ma bonnie wee, bonnie wee, Mary Mackie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Rumncoke
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 06:04 PM

Duh - of course - but having heard 'air', when my memory was better, as 'sair' it was then set in stone.

Ah well - it keeps all those people making correcting tapes in work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 04:35 PM

"Rumncoke" - I think you got the line with the (?)right, but just heard an extra "s" - "famous air" [ ie = "famous tune" ] makes perfect sense.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Gutcher
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 04:29 PM

do. do. Jim and also:----O they hung John Knox on the barren rocks
                         on the barren rocks
                         on the barren rocks
                         o they hung John Knox on the barren rocks
                         on the barren rocks o Aden

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Jim McLean
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 03:40 PM

As a child in Scotland over 70 years ago we sang "blaw, blaw ma kilts awa' ma kilts awa', ma kilts awa' , blaw, blaw ma kilts awa' an' bring me back ma troosers".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Rumncoke
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 02:24 PM

I thought I might have it somewhere. I heard it, so there is a word I am not sure of.


Piper laddie here's a song
to make the soldiers march along
Play it now and play it strong
It's the barren rocks of Aden

Drummer laddie beat your drum
To let them know that we are come
Friends will cheer and foes will run
From the barren rocks of Aden

Up the hill and down the glen
the stirring tune will sound again
They will march the Highland men
To the barren rocks of Aden

Bonnie lassie dinna cry
oh bonnie lassie dinna sigh
but wish them luck as they go by
To the barren rocks of Aden

Long the role of honour's name
From Waterloo to Alamein
oh wish them all safe home again
To the barren rocks of Aden

Up the hill and down the glen
The stirring tune will sound again
They will march the gallant men
To the barren rocks of Aden

Oh did you see them marching there
And did you stop and did you stare
And did you hear the famous sair (?)
The barren rocks of Aden

Let it sound the world wide
As they go marching side by side
To fill their country's heart with pride
The barren rocks of Aden

Up the hill etc (highland men)

Up the hill etc (gallant men)

Barren rocks of Aden (X3)

The tune for the song is the first two of the four parts, repeated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 12:23 PM

what about-

'We are the Highland Jocks
We wear our frocks to cover our ..'

that came from a highland jock friend of mine who was at Anzio among other battles...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: GUEST,Teribus
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 12:07 PM

Regimental March for the Command Company of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers - each Company had its own piper, pipe bands are relatively recent, so members of each Company if they became "lost" could find their way back to their Company in a battle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 03:58 AM

Whoever wrote the fragment of lyric quoted by GUEST in August 03 cant had good information as the FULL title of the Pipe tune is 'The 79th Highland Light Infantry's Farewell to the Barren Rocks of Aden' .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jul 13 - 10:19 PM

Can someone post the lyrics? They would be much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Jul 13 - 09:37 PM

"Hoes" there would the same as "hose" - to avoid misunderstanding.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: GUEST,Sergeant Honsinger
Date: 01 Jul 13 - 08:27 PM

I know that my Cadet Corps, #57 SD&G HIGHLANDERS ROYAL CANADIAN ARMY CADET CORPS, has created a tune to this song. It goes:

"We are, we are, the pipes and drums, we wear our kilts upon out bums, we wear, our hoes, up to our knees to keep our legs (explicit is cocks) from freezing. Our bagpipes sound like dying elks, and yes they even curdle milk, we always, keep, our hoes in line and skiegn dubes are so sharp and fine. We proudly, wear, our Glengarrys, when we turn 'round, our tails go 'weee'. and 'tis, a kilt, its not a skirt, keep calling it that and YOU'LL GET HURT"

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: PeteBoom
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 10:10 AM

We are the hielan' jocks, we don't wear shoes, we don't wear socks.
We wrap leather 'round our.......

ah well, ya get the idea... a nice lovely song to sing in the beer tent after the competition... ;-)

Cheers -

Pete

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 12:46 AM

Not in this thread, I expect. As I said, though, there is a much more recent one. Our anonymous correspondent managed, as new visitors so often do, to find only the oldest and least useful discussion on the subject in the archive.

Yes, it wasn't Andy M. Stewart (who uses his middle initial to distinguish himself from his older, more famous namesake). Nobody has suggested that it was. It wasn't Andy Q. Stewart either, come to that.

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 12:24 AM

BARREN ROCKS OF ADEN appears on a CD called "Legends from Scotland" by Andy Stewart, offered by CJFX, a radio station in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

It is also on a CD called "Forever in Song" by Andy Stewart, offered by Amazon.co.uk. It's number 34 of 80 songs on one CD. (How can they do that?)

Clearly that's not Andy M. Stewart.

I guess Dale Rose isn't likely coming back with the lyrics, is he?

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 07:40 PM

Andy Stewart wrote a song to the pipe tune. There is a little more information in the other, much more recent thread on this piece:

Lyr Req: The Barren Rocks of Aden

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 07:36 PM

Actually I have never heard lyrics to this. But if anyone sang it, it would have to be Andy Stewart

Although...

Adam McNaughtan has written a song in praise of the "Tunnock's Caramel Wafer" using the Barren Rocks of Aden as the tune.

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 07:12 PM

come on, laddies, pick your drums and let them know that we have come, we will march the hieland men to the barren rocks of Aden.

Up the hills and down the glens the stirring tune will sound again, we will march the hieland men to the barren rocks of Aden

etc.

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Dale Rose
Date: 08 Apr 98 - 05:27 PM

I have Barren Rocks of Aden on an album by Andy Stewart somewhere. I will look for it, but in the meantime, feel free!

Subject: RE: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From: Bruce O.
Date: 08 Apr 98 - 03:03 PM

Don't know, but I have the "Rocks of Baun", an Irish song about hard farming on barren rocks.

Subject: Lyrics needed: Barren Rocks of Aden
From:
Date: 08 Apr 98 - 12:56 PM

Does any one know the lyrics to Barren Rocks of Aden. I searched the data base and got no hits.

Tully