traditional • harold boulton
The song is often referred to as "traditional", but this is only partially correct, neighter is it as old as many may believe: the lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton, 2nd Baronet in 1884, with historical background from 1746; see below.
The melody though, is ancient. It seems to be a compound of two motifs: an old sea shanty and the Gaelic rowing song "Cuachag nan Craobh" ("The Cuckoo in the Grove"), collected by composer and singer Miss Annie MacLeod (Lady Wilson) from memory after a boat trip to the Isle of Skye.
The Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson wrote alternative lyrics a couple of years afterwards, but Sir Boulton's lyrics have remained most used. The song has, despite the content, gained wide popularity as a lullaby.
Legend and terminology:
"claymore" - a double-edged sword.
"Culloden field" - The Battle of Culloden in 1746, 3 miles east of Inverness, ended the Jacobite Uprise.
"Charlie" - Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788) was a claimant to the throne of Great Britain, leader of the rebellion and died in exile in France.
"Flora" - Flora MacDonald (1722-1790), from the Clan Macdonald of Sleat, assisted Stuart to evade the government troops, even though her clan never joined the rebellion.
"Skye" - an island in the Hebrides, to where Stuart fled from the island Benbecula; a narrow escape after being defeated by the Hanoverians.
Another famous song with the same historical background, is Loch Lomond.
speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
"onward!" the sailors cry
carry the lad that's born to be king
over the sea to Skye
loud the winds howl : loud the waves roar
thunderclaps rend the air
baffled our foes stand on the shore
follow they will not dare
though the waves leap : soft shall ye sleep
ocean's a royal bed
rocked in the deep : Flora will keep
watch by your weary head
many's the lad fought on that day
well the claymore could wield
when the night came silently lay
dead on Culloden's field
burned are our homes : exile and death
scatter the loyal men
yet : e'er the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
A F#m Bm E7 speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing A D A "onward!" the sailors cry A F#m Bm E7 carry the lad that's born to be king A D A over the sea to Skye F#m Bm loud the winds howl loud the waves roar D D6 F#m thunderclaps rend the air A Bm baffled our foes stand on the shore D D6 F#m ...E7... follow they will not dare
