Lyr Req: Captain's Lady (Corries Version)

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST,Cam
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 02:07 PM

Dear all,

I've been looking for this one for a while. It's an adaptation of Robbie Burns' poem by the same name, but with more verses. Heard it about 5 years ago, but no matter how hard I look, I can't even find the lyrics. I can remember one verse (just about):

When the musket balls do rain
And the troops around him scatter
Then this battle is no gain
And the silks and satins are no matter

Thanks for all your help,
Cam.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: Big Tim
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 02:38 AM

This is probably the Burns version, tho, strangely, the poem is not included in my Burns book of poetry. This is the version as recorded by John Morran on Volume 7 of Dr. Fred Freeman's Burns project.

Chorus
O, mount and go, mount and make you ready,
O, mount and go, and be the captain's lady!

When the drums do beat and the cannons rattle,
Thou shall sit in state and see thy love in battle. (Repeat)

When the vanquished foe sues for peace and quiet,
To the shades we'll go and in love enjoy it. (Repeat)

It's a great song but what's it all about!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 03:56 AM

THE CAPTAIN'S LADY is in the DT, and in James Kinsley's Burns: Poems and Songs (Oxford UP).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST,Cam
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 11:42 PM

Those are the original versions, the one i'm looking for is longer (although it starts off the same).

Thanks for all your help though, people... it seems to be a tough one to get hold of.

As for what it's about, the long version has this captain promising to marry his girl after the war is over, then he goes off and gets killed, and she hears about it and dies lonely, waiting for him forever. Very sad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:29 AM

Any idea which Corries Album it is on (I'm assuming you didn't hear it live!) your local library might be able to help!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST,Cam
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:35 PM

That's the problem.

I can't even locate any evidence of this song having existed. I can't even find it in a listing of all the Corries songs written (unless the title is something different). All I know is that a friend had a cassette tape of Corries songs, and it was on there somewhere. Sadly, he doesn't remember which is was either.

I swear I wasn't that drunk!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: mouldy
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 02:29 AM

I've just gone through my "Corries Complete" book. It styles itself "62 of their favourite songs from Scotland". This suggests that they probably had others too. As you can probably guess, it's not in the book . I looked at the words of all the songs just in case. I also looked on an Lp I'd got, without luck, but somewhere I should have a cassette I could try. If I get any joy I will let you know.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST,Crystal
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 09:04 AM

Oh they have loads of songs not mentioned in the book!
if it is on a casette it must be SOMEWERE!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: Herma
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 09:44 AM

I think the version you are looking for, was recorded by the McCalmans as well... Will post the lyrics of that, as soon as I get home tonight!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 10:05 AM

Have you tried the official Corries site : http://www.corries.com , Roy Browne's son,Gavin, runs it and is helpful to enquirers. Or THIS one: .

RtS

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CAPTAIN'S LADY (Robert Burns)
From: Herma
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 01:35 PM

Bit late.....hope this is the one you're looking for...

MOUNT AND GO


THE CAPTAIN'S LADY (Robert Bums)

Cho:
Mount and go,
Mount and mak' you ready
Mount and go
And be a captain's lady

When the drums do beat
And the cannons slowly rattle
You shall sit in state
And see thy love in battle

Cho:

When the musket balls do rain
And the troops around them scatter
Then this battle is no game
And your silks and satins are no matter

Cho:

See her right away
Now she can no longer tarry
You can hear her say
When the war is over we will marry

Cho:

Well the news came today
That this captain's life is over
And this lady once so gay
She died in mourning for her rover

CHO

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 05:29 PM

James Dick (SRB #119) saw Burns MS version of the song (SMM #233,
1790). The tune there was first noted by Burns to be "Mount my
baggage", but Burns crossed it out, and called it "The Captain's
Lady".

Dick gives the following as a stanza of an English song of the
17th century [Which I haven't yet located]:

I will away, and I will not tarry,

I will away, and be a Captain's lady,

A Captain's lady is a dame of honour --

She has her maid to wait upon her,

To wait upon her, and get all things ready,

I will away, and be a Captain's lady,

The tune was printed with the title "Mount My Baggage", c 1745
(Walsh's 'Caledonian Country Dances', bk 4), and was also known
as "Caddie Laddy".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 03:01 PM

Burns listed the tune as "O Mount and Go." What tune did the Corries use?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Captain's Lady' (Corries Version)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 07:44 PM

I should have said my volume of Burns calls the tune "O Mount and Go." That may be a mis-statement.