Bonnie Charlie

Last updated

"Bonnie Charlie", also commonly known as "Will ye no come back again?", is a Scots poem by Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairne), set to a traditional Scottish folk tune. As in several of the author's poems, its theme is the aftermath of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, which ended at the Battle of Culloden. Written well after the events it commemorates, it is not a genuine Jacobite song, like many other songs that were "composed in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but ... passed off as contemporary products of the Jacobite risings." [1]

Contents

Lady Nairne came from a Jacobite family, and Prince Charles had stopped to dine at Nairne House on 4 September 1745, during the march to Edinburgh. [2] Her father was exiled the year after, but the family "hoarded" a number of objects "supposedly given to him by Prince Charles." [3]

The song, especially its melody, is widely and traditionally used as a song of farewell – often in association with Auld Lang Syne , and generally with no particular Jacobite or other political intent.

Theme

The "Bonnie Charlie" of the song is "Bonnie Prince Charlie" or the Young Pretender, the last serious Stuart claimant to the British throne. After Culloden, he escaped to the continent with the help of Flora MacDonald, and other loyal followers. The song expresses joy in Bonnie Charlie's escape from capture and possible execution, and celebrates the loyalty of his followers and their longing for his return.

The song has been described as evoking a type of nostalgic idealism: "Who that hears "Bonnie Charlie" sung...but is touched by that longing for the unattainable which is the blessing and the despair of the idealist?" [4]

Use

The song has long been a "time honored Scottish farewell." [5] In this function, it is generally sung (like Auld Lang Syne ) as a "first verse and chorus". Also like Auld Lang Syne, the song has acquired a more general use: it was sung by Canadians, for instance, in honour of George VI in 1939; [6] by Australians as a farewell to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1946; [7] and by Elizabeth II's "Scottish subjects" in 1953. [8] It was sung by an Australian choir to the departing athletes at the closing ceremonies of the Melbourne Summer Olympic Games in 1956, as seen in the 'Olympiad' documentary series by Bud Greenspan. American golfer, Bobby Jones, was serenaded out of St Andrews' Younger Hall to the tune, after being made an honorary freeman of the Borough of St Andrews, Scotland in October 1958. [9]

With the rise of the Scottish nationalist movement it has become common to sing several verses of the song, especially the strongly "Jacobite" ones, apparently as an expression of desire for Scottish independence.

Musical adaptations

Different adaptations exist, in SATB [10] and TTBB. [11] It was used as a theme in improvisations by organist Alexandre Guilmant [12] and in a piano composition by James MacMillan. [13]

Lyrics

Different versions of the lyrics exist. These words seem to be Lady Nairne's own: they are taken from an 1869 edition of her songs, which cites five stanzas (alternating with the "Will ye no' come back again" chorus), of which the middle three are explicitly Jacobite. [14] Some versions cite only two (the first and the last) stanzas, [15] while others add several more that seem not to have been part of the original. For instance, in a 1901 anthology by James Welldon, two additional stanzas are found, and the poem is credited to "Anonymous." [16] Variant wordings for some of the lyrics (especially our second verse) are also given by some sources. Our verse two rhymes, at least in Lady Nairn's Scots.

Bonnie Charlie's noo awa
Safely o'er the friendly main;
He'rts will a'most break in twa
Should he no' come back again.
Chorus
Will ye no' come back again?
Will ye no' come back again?
Better lo'ed ye canna be
Will ye no' come back again?
Ye trusted in your Hieland men
They trusted you, dear Charlie;
They kent you hiding in the glen,
Your cleadin' was but barely.*
(Chorus)
English bribes were a' in vain
An' e'en tho puirer we may be
Siller canna buy the heart
That beats aye for thine and thee.
(Chorus)
We watch'd thee in the gloamin' hour
We watch'd thee in the mornin' grey
Tho' thirty thousand pound they'd gi'e
Oh, there is nane that wad betray.
(Chorus)
Sweet's the laverock's note and lang,
Liltin' wildly up the glen,
But aye to me he sings ane sang,
Will ye no come back again?
(Chorus)
*The line is a little obscure. Cleading is cognate with standard English "clad", in the sense of "covered" or "dressed" – probably a reference to Prince Charles being "barely concealed" is intended, although it could also refer to a lack of suitable clothing.

Notable performers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aegukga</span> National anthem of South Korea

"Aegukga", often translated as "The Patriotic Song", is the national anthem of the Republic of Korea. It was adopted in 1948, the year the country was founded. Its music was composed in the 1930s and arranged most recently in 2018; its lyrics date back to the 1890s. The lyrics of "Aegukga" were originally set to the music of the Scottish song "Auld Lang Syne" before Ahn Eak-tai composed a unique melody specifically for it in 1936. Before the founding of South Korea, the song, set to the music of "Auld Lang Syne", was sung, as well when Korea was under Japanese rule by dissidents. The version set to the melody composed by Ahn Eak-tai was adopted as the national anthem of the Korean exile government, which existed during Korea's occupation by Japan from the early 1910s to the mid-1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Dundee</span> 1825 poem and song by Walter Scott

Bonnie Dundee is the title of a poem and a song written by Walter Scott in 1825 in honour of John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse, who was created 1st Viscount Dundee in November 1688, then in 1689 led a Jacobite rising in which he died, becoming a Jacobite hero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auld Lang Syne</span> Robert Burns poem set to traditional melody

"Auld Lang Syne" is a popular Scottish song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/Hogmanay. By extension, it is also often heard at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions; for instance, many branches of the Scouting movement use it to close jamborees and other functions.

"The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th-century Scottish song adaptation of a Gaelic song composed c.1782 by William Ross, entitled Cuachag nan Craobh. In the original song, the composer laments to a cuckoo that his unrequited love, Lady Marion Ross, is rejecting him. The 19th century English lyrics instead evoked the journey of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye as he evaded capture by government soldiers after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Nairne</span> Scottish songwriter (1766–1845)

Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne – also known as Carolina Baroness Nairn in the peerage of Scotland and Baroness Keith in that of the United Kingdom – was a Scottish songwriter. Many of her songs, such as, "Will ye no' come back again?", "Charlie is my Darling", "The Rowan Tree" and "Wi' a Hundred Pipers' remain popular today, almost two hundred years after they were written. One of her songs, "Caller Herrin'", was sung at the 2021 commemoration of the 1881 Eyemouth disaster. She usually set her words to traditional Scottish folk melodies, but sometimes contributed her own music.

"O Come, All Ye Faithful", also known as "Adeste Fideles", is a Christmas carol that has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade (1711–1786), John Reading (1645–1692), King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656), and anonymous Cistercian monks. The earliest printed version is in a book published by Wade. A manuscript by Wade, dating to 1751, is held by Stonyhurst College in Lancashire.

"The Bonnie Earl o' Moray" is a popular Scottish ballad, which may date from as early as the 17th century.

"The Parting Glass" is a Scottish traditional song, often sung at the end of a gathering of friends. It has also long been sung in Ireland, where it remains popular and has strongly influenced how it is often sung today. It was purportedly the most popular parting song sung in Scotland before Robert Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hundred Pipers</span> Scottish song and jig

"The Hundred Pipers" is a Scottish song and jig attributed to Carolina Nairne, Lady Nairne and popularised from 1852 onwards. It takes as its themes events during and after the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond</span> Traditional Scottish folk song

"The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or "Loch Lomond" for short, is a Scottish song. The song prominently features Loch Lomond, the largest Scottish loch, located between the council areas of West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and Argyll and Bute. In Scots, "bonnie" means "attractive", "beloved", or "dear".

<i>Sings the Songs of Robert Burns</i>

Sings the Songs of Robert Burns is the seventh studio album by Eddi Reader. It was released in the UK on 12 May 2003.

"Will Ye No Come Back Again" is the twelfth episode of the fifth and final series of the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It first aired on 23 November 1975 on ITV.

<i>Songs of Scotland</i> 1955 studio album by Jo Stafford

Songs of Scotland is a 1955 album by Jo Stafford. It was released on January 1, 1955 on the Columbia label and features Stafford backed by the Paul Weston Orchestra. The lyrics are all taken from traditional Scottish poetry, many from the work of Robert Burns, with the music written by Alton Rinker.

<i>Wir warten aufs Christkind...</i> 1998 studio album by Die Roten Rosen

Wir warten auf's Christkind... or Wir warten auf's Christkind is a Christmas album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the alias Die Roten Rosen.

"Roses of Prince Charlie" is a modern Scottish folk song composed by Ronnie Browne of The Corries. It was written circa 1973 and first appeared in their album released in 1974, Live From Scotland Volume 1. The title of the song refers to the symbol of Charles Edward Stuart, which was a white rose. The words represent Jacobitism and modern Scottish Nationalism.

"Wae's me for Prince Chairlie" is a Scottish song whose theme is the aftermath of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Written well after the events it commemorates, it is not a genuine Jacobite song, as is the case with many others now considered in the "classic canon of Jacobite songs," most of which were songs "composed in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but were passed off as contemporary products of the Jacobite risings." The "Prince Chairlie" of the title is "Bonnie Prince Charlie," Charles Edward Stuart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wha'll be King but Charlie?</span> Jacobite song

"Wha'll be King but Charlie?" also known as The News from Moidart, is a song about Bonnie Prince Charlie, sung to the tune of 'Tidy Woman', a traditional Irish jig the date of which is unclear but the tune was well known by 1745. The lyrics were written by Caroline Nairne (1766–1845). Because Nairne published anonymously, the authorship of this and her other poems and lyrics was once unclear, however, late in her life Nairne identified herself and modern scholars accept that these lyrics are hers. Carolina, Baroness Nairne was a Jacobite from a Jacobite family living at a time when the last remnants of political Jacobitism were fading as Scotland entered a period of Romantic nationalism and literary romanticism. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed in the house where Caroline Nairne was born and reared when fleeing British capture after losing the Battle of Culloden.

<i>The Laird o Cockpen</i>

The Laird o' Cockpen is a song written by Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845), which she contributed anonymously to The Scottish Minstrel, a six-volume collection of traditional Scottish songs published from 1821 to 1824. Much of the Scottish poetry in Carolina's time was concerned with writing genteel verses for somewhat bawdier earlier songs, and The Laird o' Cockpen is no exception, being set to the music of "O when she cam' ben she bobbit".

Margaret Nairne, 2nd Baroness Nairne, later Countess of Nairne, was a Scottish noblewoman at the turn of the 18th century and active in the Jacobite cause for its duration. Her husband, William Murray, 2nd Lord Nairne, was condemned to death for his role in plans for a Scottish rebellion supported by neighbouring France; Lady Margaret travelled from Edinburgh to London to agitate in person for her husband's reprieve from execution, which was eventually successful.

"Cam' Ye by Atholl" is a Scottish Jacobite folk song. The words were written by James Hogg and it is traditionally sung to a tune by Neil Gow, Junior, the son of Nathaniel Gow. The song, which celebrates the Jacobite rising of 1745, takes the form of a "gathering song" to recruit Jacobites and makes reference to many of the places and people associated with the rebellion.

References

  1. Murray, Alan V. (1990). "Rev. of William Donaldson, The Jacobite Song. Political Myth and National Identity". Jahrbuch für Volksliedforschung . 35: 186–87. doi:10.2307/848236. JSTOR   848236.
  2. Ross, David R. (2001). On the Trail of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Dundurn. p. 25. ISBN   978-0-946487-68-4.
  3. Nicholson, Robin (2002). Bonnie Prince Charlie and the making of a myth: a study in portraiture, 1720–1892. Bucknell UP. p. 108. ISBN   978-0-8387-5495-5.
  4. Hazard, Caroline (1901). "The Value of History in the Formation of Character". The School Review . 9 (10): 636–648. doi:10.1086/434299. JSTOR   1075050.
  5. "'Will ye no come back again?'". Ottawa Citizen . 11 October 1957. p. 26. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  6. "The Majesty of Death". The Montreal Gazette . 7 February 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  7. "Empire Day Talk by Princess". The Sydney Morning Herald . 23 March 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  8. "Scottish Subjects Bid Elizabeth Farewell". The Baltimore Sun . 30 June 1953. p. 5.
  9. Wind, Herbert Warren (October 27, 1958). "Will Ye No' Come Back Again?". Sports Illustrated . p. 33. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  10. "New Music". The Musical Times . 78 (1137): 965–67. 1937. doi:10.2307/923303. JSTOR   923303.
  11. "New Music". The Musical Times . 80 (1159): 660–61. 1939. doi:10.2307/920978. JSTOR   920978.
  12. Henderson, A.M. (1937). "Memories of Some Distinguished French Organists: Guilmant". The Musical Times . 78 (1137): 976–78. doi:10.2307/923309. JSTOR   923309.
  13. Anderson, Martin (2005). "Reports from London and Bristol". Tempo . 59 (232): 81–82+84. doi:10.1017/s0040298205270171. JSTOR   3878818.
  14. Charles Rogers, ed. (1869). Life and songs of the Baroness Nairne: with a memoir and poems of Caroline Oliphant the younger. Griffin. pp. 209–10.
  15. Roberts, Philip I. (1920). "Charlie" Alexander: a study in personality. New York: Revell. p. 12. ISBN   978-0-7950-0362-2.
  16. Welldon, James (1903). Patriotic song: a book of English verse: Being an anthology of the patriotic poetry of the British Empire from the defeat of the Spanish Armada till the death of Queen Victoria. Arnold. p. 198.
  17. "Special Farewell Concert To-night!". Manawatu Standard . 21 November 1905. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2011.