Wild Mountain Thyme

Wild Mountain Thyme. also known as "Will You Go Lassie, Go", is based on a traditional Scottish folk song. It was first recorded by Francis McPeake, a native of Ulster, Ireland, in 1957, and has been attributed to him, though it is commonly described as a variant of "The Braes of Balquidder" by Robert Tannahill.cite web |url=http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/wildmt.html |title=Cantaria: Traditional: Wild Mountain Thyme |accessdate=2008-01-23 |format= |work=] cite web |url=http://www.renaissancefestivalmusic.com/lyrics/2006/07/braes-of-balquhidder-wild-mountain.shtml |title=Renaissance Festival Lyrics: The Braes of Balquhidder (Wild Mountain Thyme) |accessdate=2008-01-23 |format= |work=] The chorus goes:

:"Will ye go, lassie, go,:"And we’ll all go together :"To pick wild mountain thyme:"All around the blooming heather,:"Will ye go, lassie, go."

The copyright (1962 & 1967) is attributed to E.F.D.S.S. Publications. [Alasdair Clayre, "100 Folk Songs and New Songs", Wolfe Publishing Ltd, London, 1968]

"The Braes of Balquidder" by Robert Tannahill (1774-1810) was named after the braes, or hills, of Balquidder near Lochearnhead, and has similar lyrics and tune. [Published in R.A. Smith's "Scottish Minstrel" (1821) and George Farquhar Graham's "Scottish Songs", ca. 1850.] For example, the first two verses of this song are:

:"Let us go, lassie, go:"Tae the braes o' Balquhidder:"Where the blaeberries grow:"'Mang the bonnie bloomin' heather":"Whar the deer and the rae:"Lichtly bounding thegither:"Sport the lang summer day:"On the braes o' Balquhidder

:"I will twine thee a bower:"By the clear silver fountain:"And I'll cover it o'er:"Wi' the flowers o' the mountain:"I will range through the wilds:"And the deep glens sae dreary:"And return wi' their spoils:"To the bower o' my dearie

Recordings

There have been numerous recordings of this song, including:
*Francis McPeake - for the BBC series "As I Roved Out" (1957)
*Sandy Paton - "Many Sides of Sandy Paton" (1959)
*The McPeake Family - "McPeake Family of Belfast" (1961)
*Bob Dylan- The Minnesota tapes
*Jim Diamond
*Jean Redpath
*The Irish Rovers
*The Chieftans
*Judy Collins - "Maid of Constant Sorrow" (1961)
*The Clancy Brothers - "The Boys Won’t Leave the Girls Alone" (1962)
*Paul Clayton (1964)
*Joan Baez - "Farewell, Angelina" (1965)
*The Byrds - "5th Dimension"
*The Corries - "The Corries: In Concert"
*Meg Davis - "Meg Davis Live At Dennos " (1992)
*The Strawbs - as 'Will You Go' - B side to "Part of the union" and on "Halcyon Days (Strawbs album)"
*Van Morrison - as 'Purple Heather' on "Hard Nose the Highway" (1973)
*Rod Stewart - as 'Purple Heather' on "A Spanner in the Works" (1995)
*Mark Knopfler - at "A shot of glory" (2001)
*James Taylor - on Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Reflections, Vol. 1 [LIVE] (2003)
*Broadside Electric on "Black-edged Visiting Card"
*Real McKenzies - Clash of the Tartans
*Albert Kuvezin and Yat-Kha - "Re-Covers" (2005)
*The Doonan Family Band - Manna from Hebburn
*Keltik Elektrik with Jim Malcolm performed it on Putumayo Presents Celtic Crossroads (2005)
*Kate Rusby - as 'Blooming Heather' on "Awkward Annie" (2007)
*Lucy Wainwright Roche - "8 Songs" (2007)
*Enter the Haggis from their first live album
*The High Kings - as 'Will ye go, Lassie go' on "The High Kings (2008)
*Lauren Yason, Richard Fox and Caroline Dale - for the film "Stone of Destiny" (2008)

References

External links

* [http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_thyme.htm Site with link to downloadable MP3]