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The Shannon Side

Date January 1952
Track ID 20796
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1952.17.A1

Original Tape ID

SA1952.017

Summary

The singer meets a girl by the River Shannon and seduces her. He promises to return and marry her but does not come back for six months. He pretends not to see her and she weeps, and offers him money and land if he will wed. He tells her he is to wed someone else and gives his name as Captain Thunderbolt.

Willie Mathieson had the song when he was sixteen from James Jaffray at Drakemyre where they used to sing for hours on end.

Item Notes

12 verses. Also known as 'Captain Thunderbolt', 'Captain Thunderbold', '(Down by the) Shannonside', '(The) Shannon Side', and 'Down by a Riverside'. Not in Willie Mathieson's MSS.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 7, pp. 257-261
Ord p. 200

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R1453 GD1409

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good