Lyr/Tune Add: Over the Mountain (Boys of the Lough

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: OVER THE MOUNTAIN(Boys of the Lough)
From: Jon W.
Date: 31 Aug 98 - 12:17 PM

Here is an ABC file of a song I promised to submit in the "Favorite Celtic Songs for singing" thread. I got this song from a video tape I made of a broadcast of a Boys of the Lough concert here in Salt Lake City, July 1991. The singer is Christy O'Leary. I am not sure of the correct title. All introductions etc. were edited out of the broadcast.

Also, there is one word in the last verse which I didn't understand but I have rendered as "suthard" - apparently a clergyman who performed the wedding. If anyone knows what the correct word is, please let me know.

X:1
T:Over The Mountain
S:Boys of the Lough
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E F|A G2-|G z
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E F|A G2-|G z
B/2c/2|d B G|G A d|c B A|d2
d/2c/2|B G G|G B c/2d/2|c A A|A2
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E F|A G2-|G z

W:One night as the bright moon arose in the sky,
W:I first took a notion to marry.
W:I put on my hat and away I did fly,
W:You might think I was in a great hurry
W:When I got to a place where I often had been,
W:My heart gave a leap when my darling I seen,
W:She opened the door and I bade her good night,
W:Saying "Come with me over the mountain"
W:
W:Ah what sort of a push has got into your head,
W:I am glad for to meet you so merry.
W:It's now twelve o'clock and I should be in bed,
W:Ah speak low or you'll waken me mammy.
W:If you think that I'm jesting, my jesting is true,
W:I've courted twelve months, faith, I think it should do.
W:And before I do sleep I'd be married to you,
W:If you'll come with me over the mountain.
W:
W:If I were to make an elopement with you,
W:It might well be attempted with danger.
W:The country would prattle and tattle us, too,
W:All my friends they would frown and no wonder.
W:Ah, just let them prattle and tattle away,
W:Consult with yourself now, it's very near day.
W:And I don't give a pin what the whole of them say,
W:If I once had you over the mountain.
W:
% whistle solo here
W:
W:But I am resolved now at home for to stay,
W:for I think it more fitting and better.
W:So fare thee well darling I now must away,
W:and so that put an end to the matter.
W:Oh stop, stop a moment while I get my shoes,
W:My heart gave a leap when I heard the glad news.
W:She ran to the door saying "Maybe I choose
W:To elope with you over the mountain."
W:
W:By this time the moon had gone down in the sky,
W:And the morning star brightly was shining.
W:We both made away with the greatest of haste,
W:For a wedding our two hearts were pining.
W:The suthard came to us without much delay,
W:He married us both on that very same day,
W:And it's often we chat when we've little to say,
W:Of the trip we made over the mountain.
W:

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Jon W.
Date: 31 Aug 98 - 07:02 PM

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 01 Sep 98 - 04:45 AM

Jon
I dont have the words to hand but its a safe bet that the missing word is "sagart"! Pronounced roughly sog-ort, with the stress on the first syllable, its the Gaelic (Irish) word for priest.

Regards

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Jon W.
Date: 01 Sep 98 - 10:42 AM

Thanks Martin, I'm sure that's what he says - I suspected it was a Gaelic word but since I don't speak the language, I couldn't be sure. I suppose we English speakers could say "Father" there.

I don't know what happenned to the body of my second message up there - I had posted a correction for verse 2, line six: it should be twelve months instead of nine months.

Note also that the tune is my best approximation of the basic tune. You'll have to add the flourishes, embellishments, ornamentation, etc. yourself.

Jon W.

Subject: Tune Add: OVER THE MOUNTAIN (Boys of the Lough)
From: Jon W.
Date: 16 Sep 98 - 05:41 PM

Upon listening again to the song I found I made a mistake in the tune. Here it is corrected

X:1
T:Over The Mountain
S:Boys of the Lough
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E3/2 F/2|A G2-|G z
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E F|A G2-|G z
B/2c/2|d B G|G A d|c B A|d2
d/2c/2|B G G|G A B|A D D|D2
D|D G F|E F G|A B A|G2 B/2c/2|d B G|F E3/2 F/2|A G2-|G z

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: CapriUni
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 07:57 PM

I happened to hear this song, by chance, last night, when I turned on the radio as I climbed into bed.

I was only half awake, at the time, so I didn't catch the performer's name, but in his version, the two were "married on the altar of Hymen" (which, I think, just means they took the marriage business into their own hands... so to speak). And he also had a verse about how her parents' anger soon blew over.

I remember thinking how odd it is, to hear a completely happy love song in the folk (or any other) tradition...

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 08:11 PM

It's a standard classical image, much used in popular verse.

There are several broadside editions, Irish and English, at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

The true-lover's trip o'er the mountain

Number 9632 in the Roud Folk Song Index.

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 08:41 PM

In San Henry.

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: Stewart
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 10:01 PM

Here's Paddy Graber singing the first verse on his CD "The Craic Was Great"

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Song Add:Over The Mountain(Boys of the Lough)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 12:51 PM

It's a charming song, Jon W.   Thanks for going to the effort of posting it.

It would make a good addition to the St Patrick's Day repertoire, among other things.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TRUE-LOVER'S TRIP O'ER THE MOUNTAIN
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Sep 07 - 12:01 AM

Here's one of the versions from the Bodleian Library. (Thanks to Malcolm Douglas for the link.) Note it's got one more verse than the version posted by John W above.

By the way: I added punctuation, as I usually do, but this time I had a bit of trouble figuring out where to put the quotation marks. I'm not certain I got it right.

THE TRUE-LOVER'S TRIP O'ER THE MOUNTAIN

One night as the moon illumined the sky,
When I first took a notion to marry,
I put on my hat and away I did hie.
You might think I had been in a hurry!
When I reached the dwelling where oft I had been,
My heart gave a leap when my charmer I'd seen.
I raised up the latch and I bid her good e'en,
And I said, "Will you come o'er the mountain?"

"What notion is that you have got in your head?
I'm glad for to meet you so merry.
It's past twelve o'clock when I should be in bed.
Speak low or my mother will hear you."
"If I be jesting, my jesting is true.
I courted a year and I think it should do.
Before that I sleep, I'll get married to you,
If you'll venture with me o'er the mountain."

"If I was to make an elopement with you,
It might be attended with danger.
The country would tattle and censure us, too,
And my friends they would frown, and no wonder."
"We'll just let them tattle and censure away,
Consult with yourself for it's very nigh day.
I don't care a fig what any of them say,
If I once had you over the mountain."

"Oh, then you're in earnest," she said with a smile.
"Kind providence be my director."
I have love in my bosom I ne'er will deny,
Though the sentence it seemed to affect her.
"I'm using no magic, no art, nor no spell.
I've a true honest heart, and I love you right well;
And if you refuse me, sweet girl, farewell.
My steps I'll retrace o'er the mountain.

"So now I'm resolved at home for to stay.
I think it far safer and better.
So fare thee well, girl, as I must away;
So that puts an end to the matter."
"Oh! stop for a moment till I get on my shoes."
My heart gave a leap when I heard the glad news.
She flew to the door saying, "I hope you'll excuse
My simplicity over the mountain."

By this time the moon had sunk in the west,
And the morning star brightly was shining;
And thus we pursued our journey in haste,
And joined at the altar of Hymen.
So now in contentment we spent the long day.
Though the anger of marriage was soon blown away,
We oftentimes chat when we've little to say,
On the trip we took over the mountain.

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M FROM OVER THE MOUNTAIN (Sam Henry)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 12:57 AM

Sam Henry has two versions of the song. This is one that appealed to me.


I'M FROM OVER THE MOUNTAIN (Henry, b)

When the bright sun had sunk in the west,
I then took a notion to marry,
I put on my hat and away I did go,
I seemed to be in a great hurry;
When I came to the dwelling where ofttimes I'd been,
My heart gave a leap when my darling I seen:
She opened the door, saying, 'Won't you come in?'
Says I, 'Will you go o'er the mountain?'

'O, what foolish notions come into your head?
I'm glad for to meet you so merry,
It's just twelve o'clock and the old folk in bed,
Speak low or my daddy will hear you.'
'Now, if it be jesting, you know it is true,
We have courted a year and I think that should do,
So this very night I'll get married to you,
If you'll take a trip over the mountain.'

'Now if I would make an elopement with you,
It might be attended with danger;
The people would titter and censor away
And my parents would both frown and wonder.'
'Well, just let them tittle and censor away;
Consult with yourself for it's wearing near day.
I don't give a fig what the lot of them say,
If I had you once over the mountain.'

So when she saw that I was going away,
Her heart it began for to flutter,
She stepped up to me and this she did say,
'I will soon put an end to this matter.
Stop, stop, my own darling, till I get my shoes.'
My heart gave a leap when I heard the glad news,
I ran to the door, saying 'I hope you'll excuse
My simplicity over the mountain.'

When the bright moon had sunk in the west
And the morning star was brightly shining,
With a long journey pursuing great haste,
We were joined at the altar that morning.
With peace and contentment we have spent our long days,
The anger of marriage it soon wore away,
And often to my wee lassie I say,
'Do you rue coming over the mountain?'

'Oh, no, my dear jewel, I do not rue
That I took the advice of my laddie,
Now that I'm safe o'er the mountain with you,
I fear not the frown of my daddy.'
Let this be a warning to every young maid:
Just slip out at night, leave your daddy in bed,
And not be afraid with your lover to wed;
Think on the wee girl over the mountain.

(b) 9H61b: Dt). Source: John Marshall (Carngad Hill, Glasgow) from his mother (Ireland), c. 1900.
Gale Huntington, ed., 1990, "Sam Henry's Songs of the People," Univ. Georgia Press.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TRIP OVER THE MOUNTAIN (T D McGee)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Apr 11 - 03:15 PM

From The Poems of Thomas D'Arcy McGee (New York: D. & J. Sadlier & Co., 1869), page 499:


THE TRIP OVER THE MOUNTAIN.
A POPULAR BALLAD OF WEXFORD.

1. 'Twas night, and the moon was just seen in the west,
    When I first took a notion to marry;
I rose and pursued my journey in haste,
    You'd have known that I was in a hurry.
I came to the door, and I rattled the pin,
I lifted the latch and did boldly walk in,
And seeing my sweetheart, I bid her "good e'en,"
                  Saying, "Come with me over the mountain!"

2. "What humor is this you've got in your head,
    I'm glad for to see you so merry;
It's twelve by the clock, and they're all gone to bed:
    Speak low, or my dadda will hear ye!"
'' I've spoken my mind, and I never will rue;
I've courted a year, and I think it will do;
But if you refuse me, sweet girl, adieu!
                  I must go alone over the mountain!"

3. "But if from my dadda and mamma I go,
    They never will think of me longer;
The neighbors about them, too, will not be slow
    To say, that no one could do wronger."
"Sweet girl, we're wasting the sweet hours away,
I care not a fig what the whole of them say,
For you will be mine by the dawn of the day,
                  If you'll come with me over the mountain!"

4. She look'd in my face with a tear in her eye,
    And saw that my mind was still steady,
Then rubb'd out the tear she was going to cry;
    "In God's name, my dear, now get ready!"
"Stop! stop! a few moments, till I get my shoes!"
My heart it rejoiced for to hear the glad news;
She lifted the latch, saying, "I hope you'll excuse
                  My simplicity, over the mountain!"

5. 'Twas night, and the moon had gone down in the west,
    And the morning star clearly was shining,
As we two pursued our journey in haste,
    And were join'd at the altar of Hymen!
In peace and contentment we spent the long day,
The anger of parents, it soon wore away,
And oft we sat chatting, when we'd nothing to say,
                  Of the trip we took over the mountain!