| Author | Topic: Add: The Road to the Isles | |
| dmcg | Posted - 26 Mar 05 - 03:36 pm | |
It's a far croonin' that is pullin' me a-way As take I with my cromak to the road. The far Coolins are puttin' love on me As step I with the sunlight for my load. (Chorus) Sure by Tummel and Lock Rannock and Lockaber I will go, By heather tracks with heaven in their wiles; If its thinkin' in your inner heart braggart's in my step, You've never smelt the tangle of the Isles. It's the blue Islands are pullin' me away, Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame. The blue Islands from the Skerries to the Lews With heather honey taste upon each name. Source: Singing Together, Spring 1975, BBC Publications Notes: Note: 'Lochaber' appears as 'Lockaber' in the song as printed. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 26 Mar 05 - 10:06 pm | |
It's a little surprising that the song seems not to have been credited to its writer, Kenneth MacLeod. It appeared in his book The Road to the Isles (Edinburgh: Grant & Murray, 1927), with the comment "Written for the lads in France during the Great War". Here is MacLeod's full text: It's a far croonin' that is pullin' me away, As take I wi' my cromak to the road, It's the far Coolins that are puttin' love on me, As step I wi' the sunlight for my load. Sure by Tummel an' Loch Rannoch an' Lochaber I will go, By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles, If you're thinkin' in your inner heart braggart's in my step, You've never smelt the tangle o' the Isles. It's the far Coolins that are puttin' love on me, As step I wi' my cromak to the Isles. It's by Sheil Water that the track is to the West, By Aillort and by Morar to the sea, It's the cool cresses I am thinkin' o' for spunk, An' bracken for a wink on Mother knee. It's the blue Islands that are pullin' me away, Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame, It's the blue Islands from the Skerries to the Lews Wi' heather honey taste upon each name. The poem was set by Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser, and was first printed (perhaps worded slightly differently) in Songs of the Hebrides vol II, 1917. According to The Fiddler's Companion, the tune was written as "The Burning Sands of Egypt by John McClellan, D.C.M., a poet and painter from Dunoon, Scotland, who was Pipe Major of the 8th Battalion, Argyl and Sutherland Highlanders, during World War I." Somewhere along the way it apparently also picked up the name The Bens of Jura along with the title it acquired from MacLeod's poem. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 26 Mar 05 - 10:25 pm | |
Thanks for that, Malcolm. By this stage in the Singing Together series, the acknowlegements and credits are often minimal or omitted entirely. I have added the references to the database entry. | ||
| Mr Happy | Posted - 31 Mar 05 - 01:37 am | |
What does it mean 'Cromack'? | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 31 Mar 05 - 05:36 am | |
From The Chambers Dictionary: Cromack, crummock, crummack: a crook, a stick with a curved head. [Gaelic cromag hook, crook] | ||