Mingulay Boat Song

The "Mingulay Boat Song" is a song written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton (1874–1952) in the 1930s. The melody is described in Roberton's Songs of the Isles as a traditional Gaelic tune, probably titled "Lochaber".[1] The tune was part of an old Gaelic song, "Òran na Comhachaig" (the 'Creag Ghuanach' portion); from Brae Lochaber.[2] The song describes fishermen sailing homeward to the isle of Mingulay where their families wait.

Lyrics

Roberton's lyrics are as follows:[1]

Hill you ho, boys; Let her go, boys;
Bring her head round, now all together.
Hill you ho, boys; Let her go, boys;
Sailing home, home to Mingulay.

What care we though white the Minch is?
What care we for wind or weather?
Let her go boys! ev'ry inch is
Wearing home, home to Mingulay.

Wives are waiting on the bank, or
Looking seaward from the heather;
Pull her round boys! and we'll anchor,
Ere the sun sets at Mingulay.

Alternative lyrics

Later performers have adapted the song via folk process, with alterations to Roberton's lyrics. For example:

Chorus:
Heel y'ho boys / let her go boys
Bring her head round / into the weather
Heel y'ho boys / let her go boys
Sailing homeward / to Mingulay!

What care we boys / how white the Minch is?
What care we boys / of windy weather
when we know that / every inch is
sailing homeward / to Mingulay?

Chorus

Wives are waiting / on the pier heads,
Gazing seaward / from the heather.
Pull her head 'round / and we'll anchor
Ere the sun sets / on Mingulay!

Chorus

The McCalmans sang their own version on the 1973 album An Audience with the McCalmans.[3]

The Corries, among the best known performers of the song, used the following words:[4]

Chorus
Heel yo ho, boys, let her go, boys
Swing her head round and all together
Heel yo ho, boys, let her go, boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

What care we though white the minch is
What care we for wind or weather
Swing her head round, every inch is
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Chorus

Wives are waiting by the quayside
They've been waiting since break of day-o
Swing her head round, every inch is[alt 1]
Sailing homeward to Mingulay[alt 2]

Chorus

When the wind is wild with shouting
And the waves mount ever higher
Anxious eyes turn ever seaward
To see us home, boys, to Mingulay

  1. or "and we'll anchor"[5]
  2. or "As the sun sets o'er Mingulay"[5]

Recordings by notable artists
  • The Idlers have performed this song since 1957.
  • Robin Hall & Jimmie Macgregor perform this song on their 1961 album, Scottish Choice.
  • The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem perform this song on their 1966 album, Isn't It Grand Boys.
  • The McCalmans perform this song on their 1973 album An Audience with The McCalmans.
  • The Corries performed the song on their television series and recorded it on the 1974 LP Live from Scotland Vol 1 on the Pan-Audio label.
  • The Scaffold perform this song on their 1975 album Sold Out.
  • John Allan Cameron performed the song on his 1979 album Freeborn Man
  • Max Boyce performs this song on his 1981 album It's Good to See You
  • Graham Brazier performs this song on his 1987 album Brazier, based on the song as sung by his father Philip Brazier, and performed it live frequently as an encore with his band Hello Sailor.
  • Wolfstone, a Scottish Celtic rock band perform an instrumental version on their 1990 Wolfstone II album.
  • Mike Oldfield performs an instrumental version of this song, re-titled as "Flowers of the Forest", on his 1996 album, Voyager.
  • Casey Neill, a Portland, Oregon folk/punk musician, performs a version of this song (as the Casey Neill Trio) with slightly different lyrics and an additional verse, on the 1999 album Skree.
  • Dan Zanes performs this song in his 2002 album Sea Songs.
  • The Poxy Boggards perform this song on their 2002 album, Lager Than Life.
  • Kris Delmhorst performs this song on her 2003 album, Songs for a Hurricane.
  • Bounding Main perform this song on their 2004 album, Maiden Voyage
  • Tom and Chris Kastle A Chicago, U.S. Maritime folk duo performed this on their 2005 album, Familiar Waters
  • Heather Alexander performs this song twice on her 2006 album Arms of the Sea. The first instance is listed in the liner notes; the second version is a hidden track after the end of the last track.
  • Richard Thompson performs this song on the 2006 compilation CD, Rogue's Gallery and on his 2009 live recording, Live Warrior.
  • Fisherman's Friends perform the song on their 2010 album Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends.
  • Storm Weather Shanty Choir perform this song on their 2012 album A Drop of Nelson's Blood.
  • Gaelic Storm perform this song on their 2013 album The Boathouse.
  • Marc Gunn performed this song on his 2013 album Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion.
  • The Longest Johns perform a version of this song on their 2018 album 'Between Wind and Water'.

References
  1. Roberton, Hugh S. (1937). "Mingulay Boat Song". Songs of the Isles. London: J. Curwen & Sons. pp. 22–23.
  2. "Craig Uanach". Bliadhna nan Òran (in Scottish Gaelic). BBC. 2015.
  3. "The Mingulay Boat Song Lyrics". The McCalmans. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  4. The Corries --- Mingulay Boat Song. YouTube.
  5. The Corries - Mingulay Boat Song. 1987.
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