Lyr ADD: Dark Island (Alan Bell)

Subject: ISLAND MY HOME
From: GUEST,VIN
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 07:45 AM

Ello, anyone know the title and or lyrics to a song the choruw of which is something like..'fare thee well, fare thee well, my island my home.........now i must roam, to find a new land and to learn a new way, but i hope to return to my island one day'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLAND MY HOME
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 11:51 AM

nutty posted the beginning & chorus in THIS THREAD (The Dark Island).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLAND MY HOME
From: IanC
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 12:12 PM

Well spotted Masato. This is the version of "The Dark Island" by Alan Bell of "The Taverners" and recorded on one of their earlier albims (was it "The Taverners"?)

The tune is trad. as far as I know and quite a few people have had a crack at writing a song to it, mostly without much success. Alan Bell's version was one of the better ones.

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLAND MY HOME
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 12:43 PM

Also discussed, some lyrics: Dark I
and Dark I
The song Dark Island has been removed from the DT because of copyright reasons (George Seto clickie in thread 31293, indicated above by Masato).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLAND MY HOME
From: nutty
Date: 17 Apr 02 - 02:29 PM

Ian ...... the common assumption was that the tune was traditional but unfortunately it was under copyright ..... which is why you don't see or hear Alan Bell's version anymore (It was even removed from his songbook when it was reprinted some years ago)

Subject: ...my island my home....?
From: GUEST,VINCE
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 07:24 AM

I think I may have asked this afore but no one seemed to know......there's a song, the chorus of which goes.....

'Fare thee well, fair thee well, my island my home,
It's away o'er the ocean now I must roam,
To find a new land and to learn a new way,
But I hope to return in the future one day.'

Anyone no the full lyrics, what its called and/or if it's on a recording??

Cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 08:10 AM

Part of the lyrics & some info are posted HERE.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: IanC
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 08:41 AM

Vince

There's quite a good article here about Alan Bell of The Taverners, who wrote this versions of the words for "The Dark Island". I think it's on their album "Blowing Sands" (might possibly be om "Seldom Sober").

They were a good group.

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From:
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 11:09 AM

Those words look wonderful. Hopefully someone will come up with that version of the words, some day!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: nutty
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 01:31 PM

The song was posted to the DT but removed because of copyright problems although Alan wrote the words the tune he set them to was not traditional but under copyright .... this caused so many problems the song is unlikely to be sung again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From:
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 06:29 PM

I wonder if anyone who has the words would mind supplying them to me for myself. The bits we have look nice.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: GUEST,vince
Date: 10 Jul 02 - 04:22 AM

Hi IanC,

The song is'nt on Seldom Sober, a treasured album in my collection. Aye, Taverners were grand band.

If i manage to get the lyrics George, i'll send em to ya.

Cheers y'all

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: RolyH
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 03:40 PM

The song is indeed on "Blowing Sands"The sleeve notes say:-

The Dark Island came to fame as a theme from a Scottish television serial.This pipe tune has been a firm favourite with Scottish dance bands and audiences ever since.Supposedly originating on the Island of Lewis,I learnt the tune from Jimmy Ross, who owns a hotel in Carrbridge.This beautiful tune has had many sets of words added to it,and here are mine.My theme is the depopulation of the Highlands and Islands,where once flourishing communities have disapeared without trace.Pete(Roger)enjoys this song of farewell.


"Blowing Sands" by the Taverners is on the Tailer label (LER 2080)issued in 1973.Unfortunately (again) this could be another one of Mr Bulmers "locked away" recordings and won't see the light of day in the forseeable future

Roly

Subject: Lyr Add: DARK ISLAND
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 21 May 04 - 11:36 PM

Not the song wanted, but another pretty one. Found at this Scottish song site.

Lin

Traditional Scottish song
The Dark Island
Another site lists authors as:
Lyrics: David Silver
Music: Ian MacLachlan


Away to the westward, I'm longing to be
Where the beauties of heaven unfold by the sea
Where the sweet purple heather blooms fragrant and free
On a hill-top, high above the Dark Island
Oh Isle of my childhood I'm dreaming of thee
As the steamer leaves Oban, and passes Tiree
Soon I'll capture the magic, that lingers for me
When I'm back once more upon the Dark Island

So gentle the sea breeze that ripples the bay
Where the stream joins the ocean, and young children play
On a strand of pure silver, I'll welcome each day
And I'll roam forever more the Dark Island
Oh Isle of my childhood I'm dreaming of thee
As the steamer leaves Oban, and passes Tiree
Soon I'll capture the magic, that lingers for me
When I'm back once more upon the Dark Island.

True gem of the hebrides, bathed in the light
Like a midsummer dawning, that follows the night
How I long for the cry, of the seagulls in flight
As they circle high above the Dark Island
Oh Isle of my childhood I'm dreaming of thee
As the steamer leaves Oban, and passes Tiree
Soon I'll capture the magic, that lingers for me
When I'm back once more upon the Dark Island.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 May 04 - 11:51 PM

And posted here many times already. It has been in the DT since 1997.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: GEST
Date: 22 May 04 - 03:01 PM

Ryan's Fancy did an arrangement ofDark Island on their 1971 album, "A Portrait Of Ryan's Fancy", © 1971, Audat Records. It was listed as a Scottish traditional.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 22 May 04 - 05:20 PM

YIKES! Sorry, Malcolm. My apologies for not checking!

Lin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: Kay D
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 06:39 AM

Hi, I am new to this wesite but I hope I will come to the end of my personal quest. You are the only person I have heard of who can quote the Lyrcs to Alan Bells Dark Island. Do you have all the verses? if so would you kindly e-mail them to me. I am going crazy in my search. I have many versions but not, "On my Fathers own land"
Kind Regards Kay D
[e-mail].

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...my island my home....
From: GUEST,sid graves
Date: 08 Jul 08 - 08:55 AM

the blackpool taverners printed a songbook in the 70's with those words

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DARK ISLAND (Alan Bell)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Dec 11 - 08:21 PM

Here's my transcription from the recording found at Spotify:


THE DARK ISLAND
(Alan Bell)
As sung by Alan Bell* on "The Definitive Collection" (2005)

1. On my father's own land I was born to be free.
I was born to the island, the boats and the sea,
To work and to live as we always have done,
But I've no son to follow; the young ones have gone.

CHORUS: Fare thee well, fare thee well, my island, my home.
It's away o'er the ocean now I must roam,
To find a new land and to learn the new ways,
But I hope to return in the future one day.

2. I've known the bad days, of the wild roarin' surf,
And I've felt the salt rain as I cut the peat turf,
And I've mended the nets in the evenin' salt flow.
Now these are my mem'ries wherever I go.

3. The homes are all empty, no fires in the hall,
And the nettles grow tall all along the old lanes
Where as children we laughed and we played our rough games.
Now the children have grown up; the island has changed.

4. The school door is closed and the blackboard is bare.
The old floor is dusty; there's no one to care,
But there we have laughed and danced many a night through.
Now the old ways have ended; we must learn the new.

5. The fishin' is finished and sheep graze the land.
Where my kinfolk once lived there is only the sound
Of the wind and the waves and the wild seabirds' cry.
Now my heart aches with sadness as I say goodbye.


[* Plus some other singers who are unidentified at Spotify. Maybe those are the Taverners?]

Alan Bell recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLLBiiTdygU

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 04 Dec 11 - 08:05 AM

Alan's version on the 2005 recording shows some differences from the original Blackpool Taverners' recording and the lyrics in the songbook buried somewhere in my loft. The changes are not great and may be the author improving his work or the folk process in operation?

I believe that publishing alternative lyrics to the Dark Island tune has caused a few problems in the past over copyright but I must say that Alan's version was the first one I heard and is the best IMHO.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 15 - 06:51 AM

The song you are looking for is "DARK ISLAND" lyrics by Alan Bell o F Fleetwood, Fylde, U.K and sung by The Taverners on LP only Blowing Sands which is only available second hand.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Guest 2015
Date: 17 Jun 15 - 10:15 AM

Am listening to a version of this on Spotify.
The link is :-

Alan Bell : The Definitive Collection.

There's also some versions on You Tube.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 17 Jun 15 - 10:27 AM

I remember Alan Bell telling me, some 30 odd years ago, that, when he wrote it, he had assumed that the tune was traditional. When he discovered that it wasn't he immediately dropped it.

It also works the other way round. He once wrote a song swore blind that the tune had been copied by some big name American songwriter - think Mr Carthy/Scarborough Fair and you won't be far out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 17 Jun 15 - 03:00 PM

Google just found me The Dark Island Waltz with comment below the melody settings.
e.g.
"There is further controversy about this song. Alan Bell wrote words to what he believed was a traditional tune. Also, Stewart Ross of Inverness, Scotland wrote a very well known version of the song in 1963, after being assured that the tune was traditional. There were at least 4 English lyrics that were written in the 60's to versions of the tune. The Ross words were written to a very different version of the tune and are not a straight fit to the accordian tune.
Note: (From Stewart Ross' son) "There were no other words to the tune before my father's were written. David Silver wrote a set of lyrics in response to my father's appearing first - and has been paid and very usually credited for both lyrical versions. The tune had been played on the Scottish music circuit before being formally copyrighted and had earlier titles including Dr. MacKay's Farewell to Creagorry and Dr. McInnes's farewell to South Uist."
# Posted by radriano and taken from the page The Dark Island Waltz

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: doc.tom
Date: 18 Jun 15 - 04:45 AM

I know the thread is actually about Alan Bell's words to the tune, but we seem to have slipped into discussing the tune - so. I was under the impression that the tune had been written (I know not by whom) as the signature tune for the children's TV mystery series of the same name. Anyone else remember it?
TomB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 15 - 05:20 AM

http://www.springthyme.co.uk/1022/index.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,R Barton
Date: 08 Oct 17 - 03:10 PM

In my Fathers own land I was born to be free
I was born to the Islands the boats & the sea
To live & to work as my Father had done
But I don't plan to follow the young ones who've gone.

Chorus
Fare thee well fare thee well my Island my home
It's away oe'r the ocean now I must roam
To find a new land & to learn a new way
But I hope to return in the future one day.

The homes are all empty no fires in the hearth
As the nettles grow tall all along the old path
Where children without as they played their old games
Now the children have grown up the Islands the same

Chorus
I have known the bad days of the wild roaring surf
And the rain on my face as I cut the peat turf
And I tended the nets in the soft evening glow
These are my memories where ever I go.

Chorus
All the people have gone now sheep graze the land
Where my kinfolk once lived there is only the sound
Of the wind & the waves as the wild seabirds fly
Though my heart aches with sadness I must say goodbye
Chorus.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Singerdave
Date: 06 Dec 21 - 07:38 AM

Can anyone provide me with the chords for Alan Bell's song please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 08 Dec 21 - 04:54 AM

These are the chords I've used with Capo 3 or 4

[Dm]On my father’s own [F]land I was born to be [C]free
I was born for the [Em]islands, the [Am]boats and the [G]sea
To [Dm]live and to [F]learn as my father had [C]done
The island is [F]changing, the young ones have [C]gone

[C]Fare thee well, fare thee well
My [F]island my [C]home
It’s away o’er the [Em]ocean [Am]that I must [G]roam
To [Dm]find a new [F]land and learn a new [C]way
But I hope to [F]return in the future some [C]day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Island (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Singerdave
Date: 08 Dec 21 - 06:30 AM

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.