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| '''The Whistling Gypsy''', sometimes known simply as '''The Gypsy Rover''', is a well-known ] |
"'''The Whistling Gypsy'''", sometimes known simply as "'''The Gypsy Rover'''", is a well-known ] composed and copyrighted by ] songwriter ] in the 1950s. | ||
| There are a number of similar traditional songs about a well-off woman's encounter with ], dating back at least as far as the early 19th century, known as "]", "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies", "The Gypsy Laddie", "Nine Yellow Gypsies", "Gypsie Davie" and "Black Jack Davie" (] #1,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://library.efdss.org/cgi-bin/query.cgi?cross=off&index_roud=on&query=1&field=20|title=1 Roud Folk Song Index|website=Library.efdss.org|access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> ]). The story-line usually revolves around a woman leaving her home and her "wedded lord" to run off with one or more Gypsies, to be pursued by her husband. ]'s 1937 book ''A Song Catcher In Southern Mountains: American Folk Songs of British Ancestry'' includes a lullaby called "Gypsy Davy", which Scarborough collected from two Virginia women who had learned the song from their respective grandmothers who in turn had learned it in Ireland. Scarborough's "Gypsy Davy" has a similar construction to Maguire's song, both in some of the lyrics in the verses and in the "ah dee do" chorus that does not appear in the other aforementioned Gypsy-themed songs.<ref>Dorothy Scarborough, ''A Song Catcher In The Southern Mountains; American Folk Songs of British Ancestry'', Columbia University Press, 1937; pp.224-225</ref> However, in Maguire's song the lady is pursued by her father, and when he catches the pair the "Gypsy" reveals himself to be the "lord of these lands all over". | |||
| The song was first recorded by ] in Dublin on the Glenside label, which had been set up by ] in 1952. It was popularised throughout the country by airplay on the Walton's Programme on ], also established by Walton in that year. Another early recording was by ], for ] in London, in October 1953.<ref>B 10572 released by Rose Brennan in October 1953: "If you love me" / "The Whistling Gypsy"</ref> In 1954 Rose Brennan's cover was awarded third place by the '']'' for the best recording of the year.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Times Pictorial | title=Singing Star |newspaper=] | page= 7 | date=18 September 1954}}</ref> Later that year it was selected as the title tune for the film '']'', starring Alan Ladd and Patricia Medina. For this purpose it was given new lyrics by Maguire and ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/childrensfav.htm|title=British 1950s TV and Radio|website=Whirligig-tv.co.uk|access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> who sang it in the film.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Arts Page | title=Music |newspaper=] | page= 6 | date=1 October 1954}}</ref> | |||
| ''A gypsy rover come over the hill, down through the valley so shady''<br> | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang and he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
| Since then it has been recorded by numerous artists, including ] (who were at that time known as the Corrie Folk Trio), ], ], ], ], ] (who had a minor hit single with the song), ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| ''Ah dee doo ah dee doo da day, ah dee doo ah dee day dee''<br> | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang''<br> | |||
| ''And he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ''She left her fathers castle gate, she left her own fine lover''<br> | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ''She left her servants and her state, to follow the gypsy rover'' | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| ''Ah dee doo ah dee doo da day, ah dee doo ah dee day dee''<br> | |||
| * | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang''<br> | |||
| * | |||
| ''And he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| ''Her father saddled up his fastest steed, roamed the valleys all over''<br> | |||
| ''Sought his daughter at great speed and the whistling gypsy rover'' | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Whistling Gypsy, The}} | |||
| ''Ah dee doo ah dee doo da day, ah dee doo ah dee day dee''<br> | |||
| ] | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang''<br> | |||
| ] | |||
| ''And he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ''He came at last to a mansion fine, down by the river Clady''<br> | |||
| ] | |||
| ''And there was music and there was wine, for the gypsy and his lady'' | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ''Ah dee doo ah dee doo da day, ah dee doo ah dee day dee''<br> | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang''<br> | |||
| ''And he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
| ''He is no gypsy, my father, she said, but lord of these lands all over''<br> | |||
| ''And I will stay til my dying day, and follow gypsy rover'' | |||
| ''Ah dee doo ah dee doo da day, ah dee doo ah dee day dee''<br> | |||
| ''He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang''<br> | |||
| ''And he won the heart of a lady'' | |||
Latest revision as of 00:02, 6 January 2025
"The Whistling Gypsy", sometimes known simply as "The Gypsy Rover", is a well-known ballad composed and copyrighted by Dublin songwriter Leo Maguire in the 1950s.
There are a number of similar traditional songs about a well-off woman's encounter with Gypsies, dating back at least as far as the early 19th century, known as "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies", "The Gypsy Laddie", "Nine Yellow Gypsies", "Gypsie Davie" and "Black Jack Davie" (Roud #1, Child 200). The story-line usually revolves around a woman leaving her home and her "wedded lord" to run off with one or more Gypsies, to be pursued by her husband. Dorothy Scarborough's 1937 book A Song Catcher In Southern Mountains: American Folk Songs of British Ancestry includes a lullaby called "Gypsy Davy", which Scarborough collected from two Virginia women who had learned the song from their respective grandmothers who in turn had learned it in Ireland. Scarborough's "Gypsy Davy" has a similar construction to Maguire's song, both in some of the lyrics in the verses and in the "ah dee do" chorus that does not appear in the other aforementioned Gypsy-themed songs. However, in Maguire's song the lady is pursued by her father, and when he catches the pair the "Gypsy" reveals himself to be the "lord of these lands all over".
The song was first recorded by Joe Lynch in Dublin on the Glenside label, which had been set up by Martin Walton in 1952. It was popularised throughout the country by airplay on the Walton's Programme on Radio Éireann, also established by Walton in that year. Another early recording was by Rose Brennan, for His Master's Voice in London, in October 1953. In 1954 Rose Brennan's cover was awarded third place by the New Musical Express for the best recording of the year. Later that year it was selected as the title tune for the film The Black Knight, starring Alan Ladd and Patricia Medina. For this purpose it was given new lyrics by Maguire and Elton Hayes, who sang it in the film.
Since then it has been recorded by numerous artists, including The Corries (who were at that time known as the Corrie Folk Trio), Carmel Quinn, The Clancy Brothers, The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Highwaymen (who had a minor hit single with the song), The Limeliters, The Seekers, Foster & Allen and The Wiggles.
References
- "1 Roud Folk Song Index". Library.efdss.org. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- Dorothy Scarborough, A Song Catcher In The Southern Mountains; American Folk Songs of British Ancestry, Columbia University Press, 1937; pp.224-225
- B 10572 released by Rose Brennan in October 1953: "If you love me" / "The Whistling Gypsy"
- Times Pictorial (18 September 1954). "Singing Star". The Irish Times. p. 7.
- "British 1950s TV and Radio". Whirligig-tv.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- Arts Page (1 October 1954). "Music". The Irish Times. p. 6.