Clyde's Water
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1954.96.A6
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this ballad, Willie rides out to see his sweetheart, Maggie, crossing the treacherous Clyde river in doing so. Her mother [?] refuses him entry and he is forced to return home, again via the Clyde. This time he drowns in crossing. Maggie goes to look for Willie. Wading into the Clyde, she finds his body, but she herself drowns.
Maggie Stewart learned the song from her brother.
Item Notes
13 verses of 4 lines (except v.9 and v. 13 with 6 lines). This version makes only fleeting reference to the curse placed on Willie by Maggie's mother (and does not mention the curse placed on Willie by his own mother, which also sometimes occurs in the song).
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, pp. 433-441
'Tocher' 40 (1986) pp. 211-214
'Scottish Ballads' (E. Lyle, 1994) pp. 206-210
'The Scottish Ballads' (R. Chambers, 1829) pp. 301-305
'Book of Scottish Ballads' (A. Whitelaw, 1845) pp. 38-39
'Ballads of Scotland' vol. 1 (W. E. Aytoun, 1858) pp. 154-157
'Minstrelsy Ancient & Modern' (W. Motherwell, 1827) pp. 155-160
'Ancient Ballads and Songs' vol. 2 (P. Buchan, 1828) pp. 137-142
'Traditional Ballad Airs' vol. 2 (W. Christie, 1881) pp. 250-251
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 146-150
'Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads & Songs' vol. 2 (E. Lyle, 1996) pp. 30-32
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. LX
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Aberdeen
Village/Place - Aberdeen
Item Location
Village/Place - River Clyde
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair