Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along

Subject: Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along
From: CeltArctic
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 06:10 PM

I learned this off of a Muddy York cassette when I was a kid. They were a due from Ontario who specialized in traditional Canadian folksongs. The cassette had no notes, so I know nothing about where this comes from, nor how old it is.

CHORUS:
Arise and come along,
Oh arise and come along.
Arise, arise and come along
And bid adieu to Canada

1. The day is fair, the breeze is fine
And it swiftly flows the tide.
The boat is sailin' o'er the main
To take us far from Canada.

2. In Quebec this noble town
We arrived there safe and sound.
And to the tavern we'll sit down
And drink a toast to Canada.

3. Tell that handsome boy of mine
If he returns before I die
We will ride in great style
Along the road to Canada.

4. Here I stand all alone
On the California shore
And the girl that I adore
She mourns alone in Canada.

Subject: Lyr Add: Hey Arise and Come Along
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 06:45 PM

Interesting song, but I sure didn't find much about it. There's no mention of it in the Traditional Ballad Index, but the Roud Index led me to the Edith Fowke book, Traditional Singers & Songs from Ontario (#30), version sung by Mrs. A. Fraser in August, 1961. It's related somehow to a song called "Farewell to Funery."

Hey Arise and Come Along

CHORUS:
Hey arise and come along!
Oh, arise and come along!
Rise, arise and come along
And bid adieu to Canada.

1. Here I lie all alone
On the California shore,
And the lass that I adore
She mourns alone in Canada.

2. The day is fine, the wind is fair,
And it's swiftly flows the tide.
The boat is sailin' o'er the main
To bring me far from Canada.

3. Tell that handsome girl of mine
If I return before I die
That I will drive her in great style
Along the roads of Canada.

4. In Quebec, this noble town,
We arrived here safe and sound,
And in the tavern we'll sit down
And drink a health to Canada.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 06:49 PM

Number 2317 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It seems to be a re-write of Norman MacLeod's 'Farewell to Fiunary', for which see thread  SLAN LE FIONNAIRAIGH,  (title of the translation into Gaelic of MacLeod's English lyric) which also contains links to another thread, and to a DT file, in both of which the title is strangely mis-spelled.

The text "CeltArctic" quoted here was certainly taken from Edith Fowke's collection.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 08:37 PM

Note by Edith Fulton Fowke and Richard Johnston, "Folk Songs of Canada," vol. 2, Piano/Vocal, Waterloo Music Co., Ltd. (Reprint of "More Folk Songs of Canada" 1967), no date but currently in music stores. Page 195, with music, in both editions.
"This is a Canadian version of a well-known Scottish song, "Farewell to Fiunary." The original, which was written by Dr. Norman McLeod (sp.?) of St. Mungo's, had a Gaelic refrain meaning "Arise and Come Away," and its first stanza was similar to the Canadian one, but the other stanzas are quite different.
"The Canadian words were probably composed at the time of the great gold rush of 1849 when Ontario lads, like others the world over, were headed for California to seek their fortunes. This song comes from Glengarry County where "Farewell to Fiunary" was also known and sung."
Note that the original "Farewell ..." was written in English acc. to Malcolm Douglas (hope I am not mis-reading his post).
Fowke and Johnston mention no individual as the source, and provide no support for its supposed 'gold rush of 1849' origin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 09:56 PM

You read my post right; though I should have said that Dr MacLeod's original lyric did include one line in Gaelic:

Eirich agus tiugainn o.

The rest of the Gaelic words, so far as can be told, were translated from the English lyric by Archibald Sinclair. Details are in the earlier thread indicated.

1849 would seem rather early for a Canadian adaptation, and there is no textual evidence for any connection with the Gold Rush; but that doesn't mean that Edith Fowke was wrong, though she did sometimes make rather romantic assumptions, so we should be cautious about her comment. Fowke/Johnson's source is named in Joe's post, above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Arise and Come Along
From: leeneia
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 10:45 AM

Thanks for posting this. I like the tune. It sounds like a natural for flute.