Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: GUEST,pizel
Date: 30 Nov 11 - 04:33 AM

Sometime in the last quarter of the 19th.C. a protacted lawsuit took place in Scotland over the authorship of a song called "The Crooked Bawbee". If my memory served me right it was freely admitted in court that the song was based on the old traditional song "The Lass O Glenshee".
The new song was sung as a duet man and woman time about with both singing the last verse together:---
The 1st.verse goes something like this:--

O whaurawa got ye that aul worsted plaidy
A mantel o satin were fitter for thee
I will cleed ye in satin an mak ye a Ledy
An tak ye aff wi me tae Bonny Glenshee.

If left in a darkend room for a few hours I could probably come up with all the words as I used to sing it with my cousin at family gatherings

Subject: Lyr Add: THE LASS O' GLENSHEE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Nov 11 - 09:32 PM

From The Harp of Perthshire by Robert Ford (Paisley and London: Alexander Gardner, 1893), page 146:


THE LASS O' GLENSHEE.

A'e braw summer day, when the heather was blooming
And the silent hills hummed wi' the honey-lade bee,
I met a fair maid as I homeward was roaming,
A-herdin' her sheep on the hills o' Glenshee.

The rose on her cheek, it was gem'd wi' a dimple,
And blythe was the blink o' her bonnie blue e'e;
Her face was enchantin', sae sweet and sae simple,
My heart soon belanged to the lass o' Glenshee.

I kiss'd and caress'd her, and said, "My dear lassie,
If you will but gang to St. Johnstone wi' me,
There's nane o' the fair shall set foot on the causeway,
Wi' clothing mair fine than the lass o' Glenshee.

"A carriage o' pleasure ye shall ha'e to ride in,
And folks shall say 'madam' when they speak to thee;
An' servants ye'll ha'e for to beck at your biddin';
I'll make you my lady, sweet lass o' Glenshee."

"Oh! mock na' me, sir, wi' your carriage to ride in,
Nor think that your grandeur I value a flee;
I would think mysel' blessed in a coatie o' plaidin',
Wi' an innocent herd on the hills o' Glenshee."

"Believe me, dear lass, Caledonia's clear waters
May alter their course and run back frae the sea—
Her brave hardy sons may submit to the fetters,
But alter what will I'll be constant to thee.

"The lark may forget his sweet sang in the mornin',
The spring may forget to revive on the lea,
But never will I, while my senses do govern,
Forget to be kind to the lass o' Glenshee."

"Oh, leave me, sweet lad, for I'm sure I would blunder,
And set a' the gentry a-laughin' at me;
They are book-taught in manners baith auld and young yonder,
A thing we ken nocht o' up here in Glenshee.

"They would say, look at him wi' his dull Highland lady,
Set up for a show in a window sae hie,
Roll'd up like a witch in a hameit-spun plaidie,
And, pointing, they'd jeer at the lass o' Glenshee."

"Dinna think o' sic stories, but come up behind me,
Ere Phoebus gae round my sweet bride you shall be—
This night, in my arms, I'll dote on you kindly;"
She smiled, she consented, I took her wi' me.

Now years ha'e gane by since we buskit thegither,
And seasons ha'e changed, but nae change is wi' me,
She's ever as gay as the fine summer weather,
When the sun's at it's height on the hills o' Glenshee.

To meet wi' my Jenny my life I would venture,
She's sweet as the echo that rings on the lea;
She's spotless and pure as the snaw-robe o' winter,
When laid out to bleach on the hills o' Glenshee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 10:00 PM

John Ord (Bothy Songs and Ballads, 1930) comments:

"I do not know a more popular song than this. It has been sung in nearly every farmhouse, cottage and bothy in Scotland for the past seventy or eighty years. The author of it was a shoemaker named Andrew Sharpe, a native of Perth; who died there on 5th. February, 1817."

The tune is The Road and the Miles to Dundee, and the town is named as St. Johnston.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: ollaimh
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 09:25 PM

the altan version used the city of st john'stown, as the local, which has me wondering about the origion of the song. helen creighton collected a version located in st jihn'stown from southern new brunswick from an irish singer angelo dorman or dundee, so is this a new brunswick song origionally==the helen creighton version is very old, older than any irish version i've seen but i haven't looked at them all.

it's in "folk songs of southern new brunswick"

for anyone silly enough to join this quest.

there are quite a few canadian maritime songs that turn up on recent irish and scottish albums, usually using helun creighton lyrics. i thibk they are looking for variety. altan has recorded a few cape breton jigs andreels.

and there are a few gaelic songs that are either writen in the maritimes (notably by norman nicholson)or the songs have disapeared in scotland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 04:46 AM

Billy Ross and Billy Jackson did a beautiful version of this song on an album they recorded together some years ago. More or less the same words (though more Scottish dialect), certainly the same story, but the air was different from Altan's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 10:08 PM

Tim and Sussie -

I also had a lot of trouble with that fifth verse as sung by Altan. It goes:

Away with such nonsense and get up beside me
'Ere summer comes on my sweet bride you will be
And then in my arms I will gently caress thee
T'was then she consented, I took her with me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 05:59 PM

(oops--didn't turn up on a search)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lass of Glenshee
From: GUEST,Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 05:14 PM

There are three sets in the DT, all from the USA:

LASS OF GLENSHEE (2)
THE ROSE OF GLENSHEE
LASS OF GLENSHEE (3)

Pretty similar to the text above, from a site that credits no source so far as I can see. The set of which Altan recorded an arrangement was learned from Len Graham of Co. Antrim, and is rather shorter. I believe that lyrics are given in the album insert.

Subject: Lyr Add: LASS OF GLENSHEE
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 04:51 PM

LASS OF GLENSHEE

One bright summer's morning as the fields they were a Dawning
Bright phoebus arose and shone over the lea
I spied a fair maid as I homeward was riding
Herding her sheep on the braes of Glenshee

Her cheeks were like roses and under them was a dimple
And keen was the blink of her bonny blue eye
She was neat tall and handsome her voice so enchanting
That my heart soon belonged to the Lass of Glenshee

I stood in amaze and said aye bonny lassie
If you'll only consent to go to Jamestown with me
No other in this world will set foot in my castle
There none will go clothed more finer than thee

Fine carriages you'll have to ride in at leisure
When the people do speak they'll say ma'am unto thee
Fine servants you will have to go at your bidding
I will make you my lady the lass of Glenshee

I don't care at all for your carriages to ride in
No I don't care at all for your great grandeury
I'd rather be here in my homespun little cottage
Herding my sheep on the braes of Glenshee

Come leave off your nonsense don't cause me to blunder
Don't cause all the gentry to laugh at me
There are many up in number both old and young yonder
That are waiting this moment for the lass of Glenshee

Come leave off your nonsense and get on behind me
As the sun rolls around my fair bride you will be
No other in this world will set foot in my castle
She smiled and consented I took her with me

Many years have rolled round since we were united
Many seasons have changed but there's no change in me
My love she's as fair as the robes in the morning
That are hung out to bleach on the braes of Glenshee

May the lark forget to rise in the morning
Caledonia's dark waters roll back to the sea
If ever that I while that I have my senses
Forget to be kind to the lass of Glenshee

From: http://www.appleseedrec.com/timeriksen/songs/#lass

Subject: Lass of Glenshee
From: GUEST,Tim and Sussie
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 03:44 PM

Hello We´re are looking for the words to Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh´s version of the song "Lass of Glenshee" as sung on the "Horse with a Heart" album. We´ve got most of it down but cannot make out the words in the fifth verse. So any help is welcome.