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THE DROVER ROAD |
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Click on Song Titles for More Information |
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The drover road
is much more than just the cattle trail
With the
Conquistadors or with the Californios
Down ghost
trails. . . . These roads go on forever.
David Wilkie
1.
The Drover Road to
Amulree
Situated near the geographic centre of Scotland, a 20-minute drive from Dougie MacLean's pub in Dunkeld, is the tiny village of Amulree. Amulree served as Scotland's first trysting ground, or cattle market, for drovers to sell their 'kye' to English cattlemen. The English viewed the Highlands and Islands as dangerous territory, occupied by cattle reivers (thieves), rebels and barbarians who spoke a strange language - Gaelic. It was considered too risky to travel through these enemy glens and moors to purchase beef for the English masses, so Amulree became the place on the edge of 'civilization' to do business.
The drove roads that led to Amulree came from
the islands (Skye, Harris, Lewis, Bara, Mull, and North and South Uist),
from the north, and from the northeast. They all converged at the north
end of the strategic Sma' Glen. The glen was a natural shortcut south to
Crieff, Falkirk, the Lowlands and beyond, and was used for centuries by
drovers, travellers, and Highland and English soldiers. Most drovers at
the time travelled on foot, with dogs to help them keep the cattle
together. A typical drove would have 100 to 300 cattle, with one drover to
50 or 60 head. By comparison, a Texas cattle drive would have one man for
200 head of cattle, the advantage of being on horseback. Every fall, large herds of black cattle arrived by the thousands onto the trysting ground, and overflowed into the hills surrounding Amulree. The increasing volume of cattle traffic eventually forced the tryst south to Creiff, and then on to Falkirk. Today, Amulree is a tiny village with a half dozen houses, a kirk, a shop and the historic Amulree Hotel. A drover inn built in 1712, the hotel has been host to poet Wordsworth and Bonnie Prince Charlie himself. It has become a favourite stop on our Cowboy Celtic tours.
The idea for the song came from our friend
Willie Mackay, a poet from Reay in the northern Highlands. Willie told me
the true story of an old drover from the north who chose to die back on
the old drove road, rather than waste away in town, waiting to die.
(DJW)
2.
Aura Lea
It's hard not to think of Elvis when listening
to Aura Lea - and that's a good thing! Elvis was a true son of the south,
where this song kicked around during the American Civil War. The song was
also a favourite among forlorn and homesick soldiers in the North who were
missing their gals back home. Although not traditionally thought of as a
cowboy song, it remained popular among ex-yankee and confederate soldiers
who headed west to saddle up and herd cattle when the war ended. I can
easily see this song as part of a lonesome cowboy's repertoire in the
saddle and around the campfire. The lyrics, like Elvis's, are sentimental,
depicting a fellow missing his "maid of golden hair." Jefferson Davis and
Abraham Lincoln have left the building! (DJW)
When the blackbird in the spring
Aura Lea, Aura Lea
3.
Bonnie Dundee / Fareweel Tae Tarwathie / The Railroad Corral Probably the finest example of describing a real cattle drive is the song The Railroad Corral. It chronicles with great detail the movement of the herd from range to rail yard. Jim Bob Tinsley, in his definitive book on the history of cowboy songs, He Was Singin' This Song, states that the original melody put to Joseph Mills Hanson's poem was Bonnie Dundee. This makes sense, as the lyrics fit perfectly into the melody of this patriotic Scottish song, which is not about the city of Dundee but rather, the Viscount of Dundee. It is a rousing song of great spirit, calling the faithful to battle. Somewhere along the line, however, the melody was replaced by that of the Scottish whaling song, Fareweel Tae Tarwathie. We've put all three songs together. Mormand Hill, Crimond and Tarwathie are up the coast from Aberdeen and are where the whalers set off for Greenland to hunt the whale. Saltwater cowboys! (DJW)
4.
Mandocarolan The 17th century Irish harper and composer Turlough O'Carolan composed hundreds of melodies on the harp in his lifetime. He was not able to write down any of his songs or tunes, for he did not read or write music, and on top of that, he was blind. He must have had a great memory. I know of no O'Carolan tunes that made it to the wild west songbook, but they certainly could have. He had the cowboy spirit, and I'll bet he ran into a herd or two of Irish cattle while travelling the old roads of Erin. Mandocarolan is my tribute to the master. (DJW)
5.
Darcy Farrow
This song brings back great memories of our Cowboy Celtic tour of
Nevada, where we drove through much of the state's beautiful high desert
and back country, and came across the places mentioned in this song, such
as the Walker and Truckee Rivers, the Carson Valley Plain, Yerington and
Virginia City.
Darcy Farrow was co-written in 1965 by Steve Gillette and Tom
Campbell, and is based on a horse mishap that Steve's younger sister,
Darcy, had when she was twelve years old. Darcy was running behind her
horse, chasing it into the corral, when she was kicked. For three days, as
she lay in the hospital with a broken cheekbone, there was grave concern
that she might have a concussion. As it turned out, there were no lasting
effects, luckily. During that time, Steve's friend Tom, who had lived in
Yerington for a while in his youth, came up with the story about the two
young lovers and the tragic fall. Steve says he was a little taken aback,
since the story involved his sister's name, but he became more comfortable
with it as he and Tom reworked one of Steve's melodies and took the lyrics
in the direction of the old cowboy songs. People tell them that they have
captured something of the feeling of the high desert, and some have even
looked for graves or other evidence of the old story.
The lyrics of Darcy Farrow follow the line of many Scottish,
English, Irish and Welsh tragic ballads, such as Barbara Allen, where
grief over the death of a lover brings about the death of the lover's
partner, either through a broken heart or by self-inflicted means. (DAW)
Lorena, like Aura Lea, was a big hit during the American Civil War, even though it was written pre-Civil War, in 1857. It was sung both north and south, but seemed to catch on more with the Confederacy. Many southern-born baby girls received this name as a direct influence of the song. And like Aura Lea, it travelled west with ex-soldiers, many of whom became cowboys after the war ended. While perhaps a little on the dramatic side, the song was standard fare for J.P. Webster, who wrote the melody. He co-wrote several equally romantic classics, such as The Irish Volunteer, The Negro Emancipation Song and gospel hit of the era, Sweet By and By. Here's an excerpt from Lorena:
The years creep slowly by, Lorena
The Yellow Rose of Texas dates to the days of Texas' war of independence
from Mexico, and to the time of Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, The Alamo,
Santa Anna and Emily D. West. The story behind the song is debated as part
fact and part legend, but many say that the yellow rose refers to Emily,
the beautiful mulatto servant of Col. James Morgan.
She's the sweetest rose of color
A fellow ever knew . . .
She and a young boy were captured by Mexican
General Santa Anna, who was quite taken by Emily's beauty. Emily persuaded
the boy to escape and alert Sam Houston, and then she distracted and
'entertained' the General late into the morning of April 21, 1836. Sam
Houston and his Texas loyalists, outnumbered two to one, were able to
sneak up and deliver a surprise attack on Santa Anna and his men. This was
the Battle of San Jacinto, and was the turning point in Texas' fight for
independence. To this day, the heroism of Emily D. West is celebrated each
year at San Jacinto, and The Yellow Rose of Texas is referred to by many
as the Texas national anthem. It became a popular marching song during the
Civil War, and remained popular during cattle drives after the war. We
have heard that the tune has earlier roots in Ireland, which gives it a
Celtic history. And there's another Celtic connection to this story, in
that many members of the Texan forces were Ulster Scots, or Scots-Irish,
including Davy Crockett, who died at the Alamo, and Sam Houston.
The Field of the Yellow-Haired Lad is the translation from Gaelic
to English of 'Achiltibuie,' the name of a beautiful hamlet on the
Scottish Highland west coast. This tune is dedicated to the people of
Achiltibuie. And by the way, Custer's father called him 'the yellow-haired
lad.'
(DAW, DJW)
7.
The Wild Rippling Water
During the 1800s and early 1900s, many young
men came to North America from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales to
find work, with the hope that they could one day return home to their
families with enough money to escape the poverty that they had left. We
know of a few who made it back, but it's unlikely that many of those who
became working cowboys took home a fortune. The lonely lifestyle that went
along with working on trail drives gave rise to a number of songs about
cowboys' encounters with young ladies along the way, and The Wild Rippling
Water is one such song. It, and many other versions of the song, can be
traced back to an ancient English song called Villikins and His Dinah,
according to 'The Folk File - A Folkie's Dictionary' compiled by Bill
Markwick. I'm not familiar with Villikins and His Dinah, but first heard
One Morning in May many years ago, which has the same story line as The
Wild Rippling Water. What's different is that it's about a lady and a
soldier, and it has a different melody. It also contains the line, "I've a
wife back in Ireland, and children twice three." Markwick names other
versions that evolved from the old original, such as The Nightingale, The
Nightingales Sing, The Bold Grenadier, Keepers and Poachers and The
Soldier and the Lady.
We have recorded the cowboy lyrics with the 'Ireland' line, and
used the melody that I first heard with this song. (DAW)
8.
O'Carolan's Ramble to Cashel
That compositions of Turlough O'Carolan
survive in the 21st century is, in itself, amazing. O'Carolan was born in
1670 and learned to play the harp at a relatively late age. A bout of
smallpox left him blind at age 18, and it was common back then for the
blind to take up the harp. With no formal music training, O'Carolan
developed his own style of composition, leaning more to the traditional
music of Ireland than to the classical-style European music. He rode the
Irish countryside with a helper to lead the way, and made a living by
composing music mostly for wealthy courtesans in exchange for lodging,
food and whiskey. Nice work if you can get it! He was also known to have a
dram or two and pummel the odd critic. (DJW)
9.
Whoopie Ti Yi
Yo, Git Along Little Dogies
Whoopie Ti Yi Yo, Git Along Little Dogies is
another of the great cowboy songs with roots in the Celtic world. It can
be traced back to Ireland and England in the 1600s as Rocking a Baby
That's None of My Own, I Father a Child That's None of My Own, and The Old
Man's Lament. I've even heard of it as Joseph rocking the baby Jesus. Jim
Bob Tinsley, in He Was Singin' This Song, notes that the cowboy version of
the song first started showing up in print in North America around the
turn of the 19th century. A few verses were printed in Andy Adam's classic
Log of a Cowboy, and not long after in the Lomax cowboy song collection.
Dogies are calves who have gorged themselves on grass before being
weaned, and whose bellies have bloated like rising dough. The cowboys
would call them 'little doughguts,' which eventually evolved to 'dogies.'
(DJW)
10.
Maxwell's Thorns
The borderland between England and Scotland
was a gray shadowland for centuries. The English raided Scottish border
towns and strongholds, and the Scots returned the favour. It is said that
these 'border people' owed no allegiance to any king, queen or country,
and indeed, some of the worst feuds and deadly battles took place between
neighbouring clans and families, and not with foreign enemies. Such was
the feud between the Maxwells and Johnstones. When a wrong was committed
upon one clan, the grudge could be held for decades before revenge was
finally taken. The sons of slain chieftans were bound by oaths of honour
to avenge the deaths of their fathers and even grandfathers.
To make a centuries-long story short, Lord Maxwell was slain by Sir
James Johnstone and his men at the battle of Dryffe Sands in December
1593, near Melrose. During the battle, Maxwell offered his arm in
surrender, but Johnstone hacked it off and then dealt the fatal wounds.
Roses were planted in the blood-stained grounds and were known for
centuries as Maxwell's Thorns. Maxwell's son, the young Lord Maxwell, was
eight years old when his father was killed. He eventually avenged his
father's death by shooting Sir James Johnstone in the back at a meeting,
in 1608. However, he paid the ultimate price. He was beheaded at Edinburgh
Castle for his crime five years later.
(DJW)
11.
The Betrayal of Johnnie
Armstrong
In the American and Canadian west, all of our
interest in cowboy legend and lore, romantic and otherwise, comes from a
relatively short period of our history, roughly from the end of the
American Civil War in 1865 to the turn of the 19th century. Billie the
Kid, Jesse James, the Youngers, Nate Champion, Belle Starr and Tom Horn,
to name a few, all operated during this period. John Ford, Louis L'Amour,
Zane Grey, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and Owen Wister, in celluloid and
print, have documented well the life of the cowboy, the stories along
cattle trails, and the cattle wars. This was the golden era of the wild
West.
Across the sea in Scotland, centuries earlier, scenarios similar to
those in the old West were being played out. Cattle men were swimming
herds through rivers, trailing cattle through glens controlled by rival
chieftans, getting ambushed by reivers (cattle thieves) and being hung for
rustling. The Highland Scots were traditionally cattle people, until sheep
were forced upon them by the English - but that's another story. Before
the beef industry was stabilized, cattle reiving was a way of life in the
Highlands, in the Borders between Scotland and northern England, and among
neighbouring clans. One clan would take cattle from another. That clan
would return the favour, often taking a few extra for interest. This would
bring yet another reprisal, with the occasional lifting of salmon as
interest, too. Such cycles would go on for centuries. Stolen cattle were
hidden in places like the Devil's Beef Tub, which can still be seen near
Moffat. This 'beef tub,' not unlike the Hole in the Wall in Wyoming, is a
natural anomaly that allowed reivers to hide their bounty off the beaten
track, until their pursuers gave up searching for them and returned home.
It was considered honourable to bring stolen cattle 'back' to the
clan, just as it was for North American Indians to return to their tribe
with extra horses in tow. And so it was that Johnnie Armstrong was revered
by many, despised by more, and ultimately betrayed because of his great
success.
The Armstrongs operated out of Gilnockie Tower on the River Esk,
and dominated the border 'shadowlands.' Johnnie Armstrong seemed to have
more control over these lands than did King James V of Scotland or Queen
Elizabeth of England, a fact that made both royals uneasy. In a plot to
end the reign of Johnnie Armstrong, James sent Johnnie a 'loving' message
to meet with him at Carlenrig on the Teviot River. There, Johnnie was
captured and hung with his men. His lands and property were given to his
arch enemy, Lord Maxwell. But this was not the end of the Armstrongs. The
clan would ride yet again.
(DAW & DJW)
12.
Black Upon Tan
Montana poet and writer extraordinaire Paul
Zarzyski (or the Zed Man as he is known North of the Medicine Line) sent
me his lyric, Black Upon Tan, and wondered if music could be set to it.
I've always had a soft spot in my heart for love and lust in the neon glow
of Billings, Montana, so I was happy to give it a try. This tale takes
place in the darkened recess of an Irish pub in Billings called Pug
Mahon's, not to be confused with 'pog ma hone' (póg mo thóin in proper
Irish), which is a whole other matter. A black and tan is a pub concoction
where Guinness is poured on top of a Harp lager, and the idea is to keep
the two from intermingling. Not for the faint of heart.
Paul Z. used to ride broncs, loves the Stones, and tends a small
herd of horses and wild rabbits west of Great Falls- in true cowboy
tradition. The night is the woman, the day is the man!
(DJW)
13.
Jackie Coleman's Reel
Jackie Coleman's Reel is such a popular tune
that most people assume it's traditional. My efforts to find out if a
composer could be named for it were inconclusive, until I called Calgary
flute player Greg Hooper. Greg put me in touch with Philippe Varlet, an
American ethnomusicologist who had read a thesis by Stephen Jardine on the
assimilation of new tunes into the Irish tradition. Several of Jackie
Coleman's compositions, including the reel, were cited as examples of this
trend. Varlet also added that Jackie Coleman, born in 1928, is a flute and
whistle player; that he was born in England of parents from Gurteen, Co.
Sligo; that he lived in England for a long time, but eventually returned
to Gurteen; and that he might still be there if he is still alive.
Well, I'm happy to report that Jackie Coleman is indeed alive and
well, and a character to be reckoned with. I was able to track down his
phone number, and couldn't believe my luck when I actually got the man
himself on the phone! He listened to a short sample of our recording of
the reel, and confirmed that, yes, it is his tune. In Jackie's own modest
way, he seemed reluctant to say that he 'wrote' the tune, but I eventually
got from him that he composed it in 1955, on the fiddle, and that it is
the first thing he ever wrote. He says that, in all the tunes that a
person might write, there's usually one that shines. Perhaps this reel is
the one that shines the most for him.
- although we'd love to hear more of his stuff. When I told Jackie that I
wanted to write something about him in our CD liner notes, he jokingly
said, "Tell them I'm a darling fellow," and we had a good laugh. Well, a
darling fellow he is, in my opinion. Although he wasn't sure whether to
take me seriously or not, he was kind enough to tell me a little more
about himself. He moved back to Ireland in 1964, and although he didn't
make his living as a professional musician, he has played music all his
life, and still does. One of the telling things he said that struck me
was, "Even though I travelled quite a lot, music was the first and last
thing in my mind." That's the sign of a true musician. I hope you find
that our recording does your tune justice, Jackie Coleman. (DAW)
14.
The Ladies
of Scatwell (Boireannaich Scaitil)
Just outside of Inverness in the Scottish
Highlands, located amidst the mountains of Ross-shire, is Scatwell House,
home of our friends Dennis and Glynis Macleod and their daughters Ceilidh
and Kirsten. The Macleods have extended their outstanding Highland
hospitality to us many times, welcoming us and our sometimes unruly
entourage into their home and offering it to us as a 'home base.' This
kind and generous gesture has meant more to us than they know, and has
made our forays into the 'wilds' of Scotland all the more memorable.
Dennis and Glynis are great fans of all kinds of music, so it's not
unusual to hear anything from Celtic harp to Hank Williams, Elvis or
Stompin' Tom Connors echoing through the ancient halls! Scatwell House was
built in the early 1600s on a site once occupied by Picts and Vikings, and
was originally the seat of the Chieftan of the Mackenzies of Scatwell.
Over the centuries, there have been many ladies of Scatwell, but perhaps
none with such a delightful balance of spunk and elegance as the current
ladies, Glynis, Ceilidh and Kirsten. This tune was written for them. (DAW & DJW)
15.
The Baron of Brackley (Child
Ballad No. 203)
This ballad tells the story of an incident
that occurred in a long-running cattle feud between the Farquharsons and
the Gordons. The Baron of Brackley, John Gordon, is the victim of betrayal
by his wife Peggy, in a plot with enemy John Farquharson of Inverey.
In the song, John Farquharson of Inverey heads down (doon) the
River Dee, arriving at the Baron of Brackley's gates (yetts) at daybreak.
He shouts up that he has come to reclaim his cattle (kye) from Brackley,
announcing that his men are well-armed and will spill his blood (will gar
yer bluid spin) if he wishes to challenge him. Brackley, knowing that he
and his brother William are the only two (twa) in the castle who can go
and fight, declines the invitation, until shamed into battle by Peggy.
Peggy says, "Well if I had a husband, whereas I have none," ("Well gin I
had a husband, whereas I hae nane), that he wouldn't stand by and watch
his cattle be taken (watch his kye taen). Kye is short for kyloe, the
shaggy small black cattle of ancient Scotland. So out go Brackley and his
brother, even though they will be fighting against 33.
The fighting begins at the head (heed) of the Etnach and the first
man is killed at Little Auchoilzie. Inverey's men then surround (surroond)
Brackley and he receives his many fatal wounds (monies the wound).
Brackley, 'the flour of them all,' lies dead on the field. A neighbour
visits Brackley's castle later to find that Peggy, instead of mourning
(rivin' her hair) is making (makkin') good cheer and celebrating
Brackley's death. She then welcomes Inverey in and keeps him ''til
morning, the one who slew her good man.' The song ends with:
There's grief in the kitchen, but there's mirth in the ha (hall)
I first heard this song at the Novar Arms Hotel in Evanton,
Scotland, where Iain MacDonald of Aberdeen sang it unaccompanied for me.
Wow! A cattle battle from the 17th century. (DJW)
16.
Indiana
(Andy Mitchell, Kinmor Music, PRS, MCPS) There are many songs and stories of Scots who crossed the ocean and came west. This is a song of Scots returning to the Highlands. Indiana evokes an intense feeling of longing for one's homeland, and it's one of those timeless songs that could have been written two hundred years ago. In fact, it's a modern creation of Andy Mitchell, who resides on the Isle of Skye on Scotland's west coast. He wrote the song about his friends Val and Tom, who were living in Indiana. Life was good in America, but there was always something pulling them back toward home in Scotland. Eventually, when they couldn't ignore the longing any more, they moved back. Andy Mitchell is known all over the Highlands and beyond for Indiana, and at the Highland Traditional Music Festival in Dingwall each year, the singing of at least one stirring rendition has become a bit of a ritual. Andy is also known for his classic, The Buffalo Farm in Achiltibuie. He is an authentic Buccaneer - Buckaroo. We can see him now, balancing from the rafters of the National Hotel pub, and leading the crowd in a rousing chorus:
Oh, the pies are fine and the meat's quite chewy
Calgary piper Annie Gray plays the beautiful
solo on Indiana. (DAW, DJW)
The Betrayal of Johnnie Armstrong
Come all you border riders
Note: A 'broken man' is one who lives outside
the law. Blackmeal (blackmail) originated when drovers paid black cattle
as a bribe to pass through a hostile glen.
The Baron Of Brackley
Doon Deeside came Inverey a whistlin' and
playin'
Friends they tell me I am crazy, going back to
just poverty.
Thanks -The Macleods of Strathconnon (and South Africa), Eleanor Scott, Rob Gibson and Ceilidh Menage, The Herd at WJRC in Colorado Springs - Kathleen Collins, Dane Scott, Scott O'Malley and Laraine McLaughlin; Michael Dangelmaier, Zarzyski of Great Falls, Waddie Lord of Elko, Lisa Hackett, John and Robbin Doffelmyer, John and Dagny Grant, Michael Dangelmaier at Karo, TomSkinner and Willie Mackay in the Highlands, Val Bryan, Tom Bryan, Michael Marks at the Melody Ranch in Newhall, California, Kate and Graham Steward at the Amulree Hotel, Greg Hooper, Jackie Coleman himself!, Michael Martin Murphey and Westfest, Iain Macdonald and Miranda, Glenis Currie and her helpful family, Muriel and Dave Knowler, Tom Gamm, Tim Auvigne, Clover Slusar, Kate Kunz, Mary Cornwall, JoAnn Macdougall at The Snob Shop in Denver, The Artisan Café, Wonders, and Don Freckleton at Print Three.
"This album does it all. It stirs interest and
emotion, impresses and intrigues, makes you tap your feet while it taps a
few nerves, and leaves you drawn, yet contented, from a journey well
explored." Waddie Mitchell This is more than music. It's theatre and imagery and history and storytelling and more, all wrapped up in sagebrush and tartan. Bob Remington, Penguin Eggs Magazine
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