Wild Mountain Thyme barndance

Wild Mountain Thyme
(Jimmy McPeake)

1. Oh, the summer time is coming,
And the trees are sweetly blooming,
And the wild mountain thyme
grows around the blooming heather.

Chorus:
Will you go, lassie, go?
And we’ll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather,
Will you go lassie, go?

2. I will build my love a bower
By yon clear and crystal fountain,
And on it I will pile
All the flowers of the mountain.
3. If my true love, she won’t have me,
I will surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather.

4. Oh, the summer time is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather.

This is a nice song. The Byrds do it on the Fifth Dimension record. Original mono mixes were rereleased on the Sundazed label a few years ago and are well worth seeking out. 🙂

I personally love McPeake’s lyrics for this song, and likewise love the tune! However, whenever I’ve heard it it wasn’t as much a “barndance” as an, um, air (??)(my terminology is terrible). Anyway, I just think it is a wee bit too fast. Besides that, thanks for uploading this!

I heard this sung by a sean nos singer at the Corner House Pub in Cork last year and taped it. The tune was the same as the one noted here and the refrain was the same (will you go Lassie go) but the lyrics referred to the “Rose of Balheather” (spelling). Does anyone know other lyrics for this tune?

The Tannahill Weavers do this on their Capernaum CD.

Let us go, lassie, go
Tae the braes o’ Balquhidder
Whar the blueberries grow
‘Mang the bonnie Hielan’ heather
Whar the deer and the rae
Lichtly bounding thegither
Sport the lang summer day
On the braes o’ Balquhidder

I will twin thee a bow’r
By the clear silver fountain
And I’ll cover it o’er
Wi‘ the flooers o’ the mountain
I will range through the wilds
And the deep glens sae dreary
And return wi’ their spoils
Tae the bow‘r o’ my dearie

When the rude wintry win’
Idly raves roun‘ oor dwellin’
And the roar o’ the linn
On the nicht breeze is swellin’
So merrily we’ll sing
As the storm rattles o’er us
Till the dear shielin’ ring
Wi‘ the licht liltin’ chorus

Noo the summers in prime
Wi‘ the flooers richly bloomin’
Wi’ the wild mountain thyme
A‘ the moorlan’s perfumin’
Tae oor dear native scenes
Let us journey thegither
Whar glad innocence reigns
‘Mang the braes o’ Balquhidder

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandssongs/primary/thebraesobalquidder.asp

https://youtu.be/QX3POx23vOA folkrock version from the Strawb

play video

For all you folks posting this evening I thought I’d let you know that I’m just watching the light fade on the Braes of Balquhidder. It’s a lovely place and a privilege to live here.

This is a really nice slow version with violin and hurdy-gurdy ( a weird string instument played by turning a crank with a wheel that runs against the strings.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVH93IIXCo&list=WL&index=8

play video

For those of you wondering why some people keep mentioning “The Braes of Balquither” in these comments, “Wild Mountain Thyme” was composed by Francis McPeake, and first recorded in the 1950s. It is (loosely) based on the tune and lyrics of “The Braes of Balquither” written by the famous Robert Tannahill (lyrics) and Robert Archibald Smith. The earlier song (Braes of Balquither) seems to be based on an old Scottish air called “Balchoder” (Balquidder). (I personally think WMT is a vast improvement.)

The Tannahill Weavers recorded versions of both songs.

the X: 4 version I posted is closer to the rocking 6/4 original melody than any of the 4/4 versions previously posted. But, surely, you were aware of that already. It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!