Skye Boat Song (1884)

"The Skye Boat Song" is a Scottish folk song, which can be played as a waltz, recalling the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
The lyrics were written by Sir Harold Boulton to an air collected in the 1870s by Anne Campbell MacLeod (1855–1921).
The song was first published in "Songs of the North" by Boulton and MacLeod, London, 1884, a book that went into at least fourteen editions.
In later editions MacLeod's name was dropped and the ascription "Old Highland rowing measure arranged by Malcolm Lawson" was substituted.

Songs of the North (Folk Songs, Scottish) - IMSLP

According to Andrew Kuntz, a collector of folk music lore, MacLeod was on a trip to the isle of Skye and was being rowed over Loch Coruisk (Coire Uisg, the "Cauldron of Waters") when the rowers broke into a Gaelic rowing song "Cuachag nan Craobh" ("The Cuckoo in the Grove").
Miss MacLeod set down what she remembered of the air, with the intention of using it later in a book she was to co-author with Boulton, who later added the section with the Jacobite associations. "As a piece of modern romantic literature with traditional links it succeeded perhaps too well, for soon people began "remembering" they had learned the song in their childhood, and that the words were 'old Gaelic lines',"



The Skye Boat Song - Wikipedia

Skye Boat Song

Skye Boat Song - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s

In 1892 Robert Louis Stevenson wrote new lyrics for the song which were published in the collection "Songs Of Travel And Other Verses". Songs of Travel, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The version with the 1892 Stevenson-lyrics was used in the TV series "Outlander" (2014)

The version with the Boulton-lyrics was extremely popular in its day, and from its first recording by Tom Bryce in 1899, became a standard among Scottish folk and dance musicians.


(o) Tom Bryce (1899)
Recorded April 29, 1899 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf

Released on Berliner's Gramophone E-2048-X



http://sounds.bl.uk/related-content/TEXTS/029I-GRAGX1901XXX-0000A0.pdf



(c) Atherton Smith (1900's + 1904)
Recorded 1900's in London
Released on Zonophone 12863
Also recorded in July 1904 in London
Released on Odeon 2358

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056457/section-20-shanks-sync.pdf



(c) Mr. Andrew Black (1904)
Recorded September 17, 1904 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf

Released on Gramophone Concert Record (G&T) # G.C.-3-2162



Listen here:





(c) P.A. Hope (1911)
Recorded August 9, 1911 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056424/section-09-h.pdf

Released on Zonophone Records # X-2-42163 and on Zonophone Records # 705





(c) Alexander MacGregor (1924) (as "Oigh Mo Ruin (Skye Boat Song)")
Recorded March 19, 1924 in Hayes, Middlesex

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056439/section-14-ma-mckay.pdf

Released on His Master's Voice B-1826





(c) Elder Cunningham (1927)
Recorded January 11, 1927 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056409/section-04-c.pdf

Released on Columbia 4282





(c) Stuart Robertson (1934)
Recorded October 23, 1934 at Abbey Road Studio in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056451/section-18-r.pdf

Released on His Master's Voice B-8260




(c) Isobel Baillie (1946)
Recorded August 19, 1946 at Abbey Road Studio 3 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056406/section-03-b.pdf

Released on Columbia DB-2277



Listen here:





(c) Kenneth McKellar (1957)
Recorded March 17, 1957 in London

http://www.nls.uk/media/1056445/section-16-mckechnie-masterton.pdf

Released on Decca F-10901

Kenneth McKellar - Lewis Bridal Song / Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs

45cat - Kenneth McKellar - Skye Boat Song / Lewis Bridal Song - Decca - UK - F 10901

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(c) Tom Jones (1965)
On his debut album "Along Came Jones" in 1965.

Vinyl Album - Tom Jones - Along Came Jones - Decca - UK

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Among later renditions which became well known were Peter Nelson and The Castaways from New Zealand, who released a version in 1966, as did Western Australian artist Glen Ingram. Both versions were in the Australian hit parade in 1966


(c) Peter Nelson and The Castaways (1966)

45cat - Peter Nelson And The Castaways - Skye Boat Song - His Master's Voice - Australia

Peter Nelson & The Castaways - Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs





(c) Glen Ingram with the Hi-Five (1966)

45cat - Glen Ingram With The Hi Five - Skye Boat Song / Long Time Gone - Clarion - Australia - MCK-1419

Glen Ingram With The The Hi Five / Terry Walker (4) With The The Hi Five - Skye Boat Song / Long Time Gone (Vinyl) at Discogs





(c) Roger Whittaker (1968)
Whistling-only version.

45cat - Roger Whittaker - Early One Morning / Skye Boat Song - Columbia - UK - DB 8333



Roger Whittaker's duet version with Des O'Connor, released in 1986, combined O'Connor's vocals with Whittaker's whistling.

Roger Whittaker & Des O'Connor - The Skye Boat Song (Vinyl) at Discogs

45cat - Roger Whittaker And Des O'Connor - Skye Boat Song / Remember Romance - Tembo - UK - TML 119

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(c) Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band (1976)
Rod Stewart recorded two versions of the song with the Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band during the sessions for "Atlantic Crossing" (recorded between April and June 1975)
They were released in April 1976 on the next 45.

45cat - Atlantic Crossing Drum And Pipe Band - Skye Boat Song / Skye Boat Song (Original Pipe Version) - Riva - UK - RIVA 2


They were re-released on the deluxe re-release of the "Atlantic Crossing" album in 2009.





(c) Steve Hackett (1983)
Instrumental guitar-only version on "Bay Of Kings" album

Bay of Kings - Wikipedia





(c) The Shadows (1987)
Instrumental version in the Deerhunter style.

Vinyl Album - The Shadows - Simply Shadows - Polydor - UK





Bear McCreary adapted the song as the opening titles of the 2014 Outlander TV series, sung by Raya Yarbrough, He used the lyrics of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1892 version. (the only part in the lyric that was changed: "Merry of soul he sailed on a day" becomes "Merry of soul she sailed on a day")

In the first season a shortened version of  Stevenson's "Skye Boat Song" was used, which was also included on vol 1 of the Original Soundtrack of the series.



But in the second season (2015) a full version was used, which was included on Vol 2 of the Original Soundtrack of the series.





(c) Van Morrison (2017)

Ja-Da (1918) / What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy (1929) / Truckin' My Blues Away (1936) / Keep On Truckin' (1972) / Alice's Restaurant Massacree (1967)

"Ja-Da" was written by Bob Carleton, when he was club pianist at the Arsonia Cafe in Chicago, Illinois and he first popularized it with singer Cliff Edwards, who got his first break in 1918 , where he performed the song in the Arsonia Cafe.
Edwards and Carleton made it a hit on the vaudeville circuit.



Ja-Da - Wikipedia



(o) Arthur Fields (1918)  (as "Ja-Da (Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing Jing!)")
Recorded October 25, 1918 in New York.
Released on Columbia A2672



ARTHUR FIELDS: Discography of Columbia Recordings (Part I)

Columbia matrix 78160. Ja-da (ja da, ja da, jing jing!) / Arthur Fields - Discography of American Historical Recordings

Arthur Fields / Peerless Quartette - Ja-Da (Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Jing Jing!) / The Worst Is Yet To Come (Shellac) at Discogs

Listen here:




Arthur Fields also recorded a version for the Edison label
Recorded October 31, 1918 in New York
Released on Edison Amberol 3649

ARTHUR FIELDS: Discography of Edison Recordings

Listen here: cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/5000/5830/cusb-cyl5830d.mp3


Arthur Fields also recorded a version on the Victor label
Recorded November 15, 1918 in Camden, New Jersey
Released on Victor 18522



ARTHUR FIELDS: Discography of Victor Recordings

Victor matrix B-22422. Ja-da / Arthur Fields - Discography of American Historical Recordings

Browse All Recordings | Ja-da, Take 2 (1918-11-15) | National Jukebox LOC.gov

Billy Murray / Arthur Fields - Alcoholic Blues / Ja-Da (Shellac) at Discogs

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(c) New Orleans Jazz Band (1918)  (as "Ja Da")
Recorded November 1918
Released on Okeh 1155

OKeh matrix 478. Ja da / New Orleans Jazz Band - Discography of American Historical Recordings





In 1929 Tampa Red and Georgia Tom used the "Ja-Da" tune for their song "What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy?"

(c) Tampa Red and Georgia Tom (1929)  (as "What Is It That Tastes Like Gravy?")
Recorded June 13, 1929 in Chicago
Released on Vocalion 1426 and Supertone S2225



Listen here





(c) King David's Jug Band (1930) (as "What's That Tastes Like Gravy")
Stovepipe No. 1 (Samuel Jones) (vocal and stovepipe); King David (David Crockett) (guitar); unkown (mandolin); two unknowns (vocals)
Recorded December 11, 1930 in Atlanta GA
Released on Okeh 8913



Listen here:





In 1936 Blind Boy Fuller used the "Ja-Da" tune for his song "Truckin' My Blues Away".

(c) Blind Boy Fuller (1936)  (as "Truckin' My Blues Away")
Recorded April 29, 1936 in New York City
Released on Perfect 6-10-56, on Conqueror 8720, on Vocalion 03098 and Columbia 30079.



Listen here:



2 years later Blind Boy Fuller also used the Ja-Da tune for "What's That Smells Like Fish"
Recorded October 29, 1938 in Columbia, S.C.
Released on Vocalion 04519



Listen here:





(c) Johnny Temple with the Harlem Hamfats (1938) (as "What Is That Smells Like Gravy")
Johnnie Temple, voc;
Harlem Hamfats: Odell Rand, cl; Horace Malcolm, p; Joe McCoy, g; Charlie McCoy, g, md; John Lindsay, sb; Fred Flynn, dr
Recorded April 22, 1938 in New York City
Released on Decca 7456



Illustrated Johnny Temple discography

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(c) Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (1936) (as "Jada")
Recorded April 15, 1936 in New York
Released on Victor 25326



Victor matrix BS-101454. Jada / Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - Discography of American Historical Recordings

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Sonny Boy Williamson's "I'm Tired Trucking My Blues Away" is an answer record to Blind Boy Fuller's "Truckin' My Blues Away", also using the same Ja Da tune.

(c) Sonny Boy Williamson (1938) (as "I'm Tired Trucking My Blues Away")
Sonny Boy Williamson: voc, hca, Yank Rachell: mand, Joe Williams: g

Listen here:



Listen here:





(c) Ten Cats and a Mouse (1947) (as "Ja-Da")
Paul Weston (cl), Eddie Miller (as), Benny Carter (ts), Dave Cavanaugh (bar), Dave Barbour (t), Billy May, Bobby Sherwood (tb), Hal Derwin (g), Frank DeVol (b), Red Norvo (p), Peggy Lee (d)
(The mouse in casu is Peggy Lee)
Recorded October 13, 1947 in Los Angeles
Released on Capitol 15015

Ten Cats And A Mouse - Ja-Da / Three O'Clock Jump (Shellac) at Discogs

Peggy Lee Discography - The Capitol Years, Part 2

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In 1954 Sonny Rollins "re-invented" it using the Ja-Da chords for his composition "Doxy".

(c) Miles Davis (1954)  (as "Doxy")
Recorded June 29, 1954 in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Released on 10 inch album "Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins" (Prestige PRLP 187)

Prestige Records Catalog: 100, 200 series

Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins - Wikipedia

Listen here:





(c) Johnny and the Hurricanes (1961)

45cat - Johnny And The Hurricanes - Ja-Da / Mr. Lonely - Bigtop - USA - 45-3063





(c) Alma Cogan (1961)

45cat - Alma Cogan - With You In Mind / Ja-Da - Columbia - UK - DB 4679





(c) The Journeymen (1963)

45cat - The Journeymen - Kumbaya / Ja-Da - Capitol - USA - 5031





(c) Hugues Aufray (1964)  (as "Ja-Da")
French lyrics by Pierre Saka.

45cat - Hugues Aufray - Debout Les Gars / Nous Avons Beaucoup Danse - Barclay - France - 70692



(c) The Fireballs (1966)

45cat - The Fireballs - Ja-Da / What I Am - Dot - USA - 45-16834





(c) Whistling Jack Smith (1967)

45cat - Whistling Jack Smith - Colonel Bogey / Ja-Da - Deram - Netherlands - DM 134



And Arlo Guthrie also used the "Ja-Da" tune for his famous song "Alice's Restaurant"

(c) Arlo Guthrie (1967)  (as "Alice's Restaurant Masscree")

Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs

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(c) Hot Tuna (1972)  (as "Keep On Truckin'")

Title, lyrics and some chord changes in this rendition (and the band name 'Hot Tuna') are related to Blind Boy Fuller's "Truckin' My Blues Away", the origin for the phrase "Keep on Truckin'".
Hot Tuna's version also used some lyrics from Blind Boy Fuller's "What's That Smells Like Fish".

45cat - Hot Tuna - Keep On Truckin' / Water Song - Grunt - USA - 65-0502

The Hot Tuna recording reappeared on Flight Log, a 1977 compilation by Jefferson Airplane and related bands, this time with the double title "Ja Da (Keep on Truckin')". The song is credited to Carleton or, on recent releases, as "traditional".

Jefferson Airplane - Flight Log (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs

Listen here:






More versions here:

Cover versions of Ja-Da written by Bob Carleton | SecondHandSongs




NOT TO BE CONFUSED with The Pointer Sisters' "Jada"

Sucking Cider Thro' A Straw (1894) / Sipping Cider Through A Straw / Sippin' Cider (1928) / Suckin' Cider (1931) / Sippin' Soda (1953) / Zeep En Soda (1954) / Four For Three (1962) / Lily The Pink (1968) / Drinke Totteme Zinke (1969)

"Lily the Pink" is a 1968 song released by the UK comedy group the Scaffold. It is a modernisation of an older folk song titled "(The Ballad of) Lydia Pinkham", which was part of Carl Sandburg's "American Songbag" (1927).

https://archive.org/stream/americansongbag029895mbp#page/n237/mode/2up

It has also Roud number 8368. SEE: Vaughan Williams Memorial Library

The lyrics celebrate the "medicinal compound" invented by Lily the Pink (= Lydia Pinkham), and, in each verse, chronicle some extraordinary cure it has effected.

Lily the Pink (song) - Wikipedia



In 1962 Oscar Brand recorded a version of "Lydia Pinkham" (his version was titled "Four For Three")

(c) Oscar Brand (1962)  (as "Four For Three")




And here's The Scaffold's adaptation of "Lydia Pinkham" (they titled it "Lily The Pink")

(c) The Scaffold (1968)  (as "Lily The Pink")

45cat - The Scaffold - Lily The Pink / Buttons Of Your Mind - Parlophone - UK - R 5734





(c) Irish Rovers (1969)  (as "Lily The Pink")

45cat - The Irish Rovers - Lily The Pink / Mrs. Crandall's Boardinghouse - Decca - USA - 32444

The Irish Rovers - Lily The Pink / Mrs. Crandall's Boarding House (Vinyl) at Discogs

The Irish Rovers - Tales to Warm Your Mind



The words were a derivation from the 1962 Oscar Brand version, who took his version from Carl Sandburg's "American Songbag (1927).
But the tune was in fact adapted from an even older traditional song "Sucking (Sipping) Cider Thro' A Straw" written in 1894 by W. Freear.

African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920

Sipping Cider Through a Straw - Wikipedia

In 1875 a version of this song was included in the songbook "Songs of the Class of Seventy-Five" of the University of Michigan, but with the tune of "Lone Fish Ball"

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015071370293;view=1up;seq=22



Here below is the oldest recording (with the "Lily The Pink" tune) I could find.

(c) Mack Allen (=Vernon Dalhart) (1928)  (as "Sippin' Cider")
(Written by Bob Miller)
Recorded November 16, 1928
Released on Harmony 707-H (as by Mack Allen)

Columbia matrix 147468. Sippin' cider / Mack Allen - Discography of American Historical Recordings



Listen here:



A few months later Dalhart recorded a version for the Victor-label:



Victor matrix BVE-49232. Sippin' cider / Vernon Dalhart - Discography of American Historical Recordings

Listen here:





(c) Crockett Family Mountaineers (1928)



Crockett Family Mountaineers* - Hard Cider Song / Rosalee (Shellac) at Discogs

Listen here (the melody starts at abour 1 min and 35 sec) : : honkingduck.com/mc/system/files/HARD_CIDER_SONG.MP3

(c) Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys (1931)  (as "Suckin' Cider")
Recorded February 16, 1931 in New York
Released on Melotone M 12127



Otto Gray And His Oklahoma Cowboys* - Cat Came Back / Suckin' Cider (Shellac) at Discogs

Listen here:





In 1953 Guy Mitchell recorded another variation of the song

(c) Guy Mitchell (1953)  (as "Sippin' Soda")
(Adapted by Paul Campbell = The Weavers)

45cat - Guy Mitchell - Strollin' Blues / Sippin' Soda - Columbia - USA - 4-40077

Listen here:






(c) Johnny Hicks (1953)  (as "Sippin Cider")

45cat - Johnny Hicks And The Country Gentlemen - You All Come / Sippin Cider - Columbia - USA - 4-21177



(c) Johnny Cooper (1953) (as "Sippin' Soda Through A Straw")

Johnny Cooper And His Ranger Riders* - Sippin' Soda Through A Straw (Shellac) at Discogs

Johnny Cooper Discography - AudioCulture

Listen to a sample here

Rock And Sing With Johnny Cooper: Johnny Cooper: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads



(c) Black and White (1954)  (as "Zeep En Soda")
(Dutch lyrics by Stan Haag)

78 RPM - Black And White - Zeep En Soda (Sippin' Soda) / Daar Bij De Waterkant (Down By The Riverside) - Philips - Netherlands - P 17328 H

Listen here:






(c) Nina & Frederik (1959)  (as "Sippin' Cider")

On this version the "Lily The Pink" connection is very clear.

45cat - Nina And Frederik - Sippin' Cider / I Would Amor Her - Metronome - Denmark - B 45-1324

Nina & Frederik - I Would Amor Her / Sippin' Cider (Vinyl) at Discogs

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(c) Chubby Checker (1964)  (as "Sippin' Cider Through A Straw")

Chubby Checker - Spread Joy / Sippin' Cider Through A Straw (Vinyl) at Discogs

Listen here:






More cover-versions of the Scaffold-version here below:

(c) Thijs van der Molen (1969)  (as "Drinke Totteme Zinke")
(Dutch lyrics by Thijs van der Molen")

45cat - Thijs van der Molen - Drinke Totteme Zinke (Lily The Pink) / Lolita - Imperial - Netherlands - IH 841





(c) Johnny Hoes en Feestneuzen (1969)  (as "En We Drinken Tot We Zinken")
(Dutch lyrics by Thijs van der Molen)

45cat - Johnny Hoes en De Feestneuzen - We Drinken Tot We Zinken! (Lily The Pink) / Krijg Je Soms Een Kale Kop? - Telstar - Netherlands - TS 1443 TF






(c) Rijk de Gooyer (1969)  (as "Leve De Man, De Man, De Man")
(Dutch lyrics by Rijk de Gooyer and Jacques Hartman)

45cat - Rijk de Gooyer - Leve De Man, De Man, De Man / Pak Me Dan - Artone - Netherlands - DJ 25.913

Rijk De Gooyer - Leve De Man, De Man, De Man - Pak Me Dan (Vinyl) at Discogs




(c) Disko Johnny (=Jan Boezeroen=Johnny Goverde) (1969)  (as "Sophietje")
(Dutch lyrics by Johnny Goverde and Gunter Kaleta=Addy Kleijngeld)

45cat - Disko Johnny - Sophietje (Lily The Pink) / Het Bier Is Weer Best - CNR - Netherlands - UH 10037






(c) Richard Anthony (1969) (as "Le Syrop Typhon")
(French lyrics by Richard Anthony)

45cat - Richard Anthony - Le Sirop Typhon (Lily The Pink) / En Passant La Frontiere (Cuando Sali Do Cuba) - Tacoun - France - 2C 006-10.018





(c) I Gufi (1969) (as "La Sbornia")
(Italian lyrics by Leo Chiosso)

I Gufi - La Sbornia (Vinyl) at Discogs

Listen here:





(c) Lennart Grahn & Nya Sahnes (1969)  (as "Doktor E Munk")
(Swedish lyrids by Börje Carlsson)

45cat - Lennart Grahn Och Nya Shanes - Doktor E. Monk / Ozi Mc Dozi - Polydor - Sweden - NH 59777





(c) Gluntan (1969)  (as "Doktor E Vang")
(Norvegian lyrics by Freddie=Terje Mosnes)

Lily the Pink – Wikipedia

45cat - Gluntan - Doktor E. Wang (Lily The Pink) / Jeg Er Visst Blitt Forelsket - Columbia - Norway - GN 1822





(c) Grethe Sønck (1969) (as "Lille Fru Flink")
(Danish lyrics by Volmer Sørensen)

45cat - Grethe Sønck - Lille Fru Flink / Danske Pige - Columbia - Denmark - DD 818




The melody of "Sippin Cider" was also used for the Scout song "I Met A Bear".

I Met a Bear Song lyrics midi






In 1919 Collins and Harlan recorded a version, which had a different melody and different words too