Annotation:O Waly Waly

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O WALY, WALY. AKA - "Oh Waly, Waly, Gin Love be Bonny," "Wale' Wale' up yon Bank." Scottish, Air (3/4 time). F Major (Howe): D Major/Mixolydian (Neil). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Howe): AABB (Neil). This very old tune can be found in William Thomson's Orpheus Caledonius [1] (1725, as "Wale' Wale' up yon Bank"), and William McGibbon's collection of 1762 among others, although the first printed version appeared in 1725. Neil (1991) remarks that the origins of the ballad are obscure, but probably relate to some amorous incident in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, or one of her courtiers. The song references Lady Barbara Erskine, daughter of the 9th Earl of Mar, who married James, second Marquis of Douglas, in 1670 and tells of her ruin after being falsely accused of adultery.

O waly, waly, up the bank,
And way, waly, down the brae,
And waly, waly, yon burnside,
Where I and my love want to go!
I lean'd my back into an aik,
I thocht it was a trusty tree,
But first it bow'd and syne it brak
And sae did my true love to me.

The song was transformed in America into the folksong "The Water is Wide," often used in Appalachian themes. The melody to the American version of the song comes from English collector Cecil Sharp, cobbled from various English and American sources. It goes:

X:1
T:The Water is Wide
M:3/2
L:1/8
R:Air
B:Sharp - Folk Songs From Somerset (1906, Song 66)
N:Words and music attributed to "Mrs. Cox, of High Ham,"
N:but reworked by Sharp from several sources.
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
D2G2 GA|:B4 A2 A2G2E2|D6 D2G2F2|G6 A2B2 (cB)|
A6 G2A2 (Bc)|d4 c2 c2B2 (AG)|B6 A2G2E2|D4 D4 D2 (EF)|
G6 D2 G2 GA|B4 A2 A2G2E2|D6 D2G2F2|G6 A2 B2 (cB) |
A6 G2A2 B c |d4 c2c2 B2 (AG)|B6 A2G2E2|D4 D4 D2 (EF)|G6 z2:||

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 120. Neil (The Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 11, p. 13. Thomson (Orpheus Caledonius), 1725; p. 34.

Recorded sources: June Tabor - "Airs and Graces."

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