A FAVORITE NEW SONG, to the tune of Langolee.
'TWAS summer, and softly the breezes were blowing,
And sweetly the Nightingales sung from the tree
At the foot of a hill, where the river was flowing,
I sat myself down on the banks of the Dee.
Flow on lovely Dee, flow on thou sweet river,
Thy banks purest stream, shall be dear to me ever;
For there I first gain'd the affection and favor,
Of Jamie, the glory and pride of the Dee.
But now he's gone from me, and left me thus mourning,
To quell the proud Rebels, for valient is he;
And ah ! there's no hope of his speedy returning,
To wander again on the banks of the Dee;
He's gone hapless youth o'er the loud roaring billows,
The kindest, and sweetest, of all his brave fellows;
And left me to stray 'mongst those once lov'd willows,
The loneliest lasson the banks of the Dee.
But time and my prayers may perhaps yet restore him,
Blest peace may restore my dear lover to me,
And when he returns with such care I'll watch o'er him,
He never shall leave the sweet banks of the Dee;
The Dee then will flow, all its beauties displaying,
The lambs on its banks will again be seen playing,
Whilst I with my Jamie am carelessly straying,
And tasting again all the sweets of the Dee.
Document Details
Summary:
This song was very popular in both Great Britain and the Colonies. "The Banks of the Dee" was composed by John Tait in 1775 and is adapted to the Irish air "Langolee". It was first printed in the Pennsylvania Ledger, at Philadelphia, on 17 December 1777, under the name "A Favorite New Song, to the tune of Langolee." The ballad tells the story of a dear friend/loved one leaving Scotland to join the British forces in America. The song has often been attributed to the Rev. John Home, Scottish minister, soldier, and author of the tragedy of “Douglass."
Scottish poet Robert Burns, in a letter to George Thomson, dated 7th April 1793, wrote how the song had some false imagery to it. He specifically talked about the second stanza describing how a nightingale sings in a low bush and never from a tree. Additionally, he stated that nightingales have never been seen or heard on the banks of any other river in Scotland. In response, Tait gave justice to these remarks and adjusted the lyrics in the new edition of the song years later by rewording the stanza:
“ ‘Twas summer, and softly the breezes were blowing,/
And sweetly the wood pigeon coo’d from the tree./
At the foot of a rock, where the wild rose was growing,/
I sat myself down on the banks of the Dee.”
Date:
-
All Places
- River Dee (Scotland)
Object Type:
Songs
Language:
English
Manuscript Type:
Printed
Series:
Page Number: