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Carls o' Dysart​/​Walking the Floor

from Signature by IONA

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about

This Scottish drinking song by Robbie Burns, celebrates the life of the old 'Carls' and 'Kimmers' - and the young - the lads and lassies of the town of Dysart. The phrase "Ca' thro" was the cry from a fishing boat approaching a crowded shore that would have been heard along the coast at that time. This song was first printed in The Scots Musical Museum, vol.4, 1792 and is thought to be "an old Fifeshire fishing song." Burns may have collected this song when passing through Fife in the late autumn of 1787 at the end of his Highland tour. Although it is not certain that Burns improved it, the editors say "this song does appear to have been tightened up by Burns" and the "deceptively simple clarity of lyric would appear to be his handiwork." We follow up with an Asturian dance, Muñiera De Tormaleo, in 6/8 from one of eleven parishes in the municipality of Ibias. The final tune, Walking the Floor, is by Jack Chisholm who was the son of P/M Bill Chisholm of Inverness and grew up in a piping family. He served in North Africa during the war and afterwards was in the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band. He then emigrated to Washington D.C. around 1956/7 where he was Pipe major of the Washington Scottish Pipe Band. In effect, this is one of our "local" tunes!

lyrics

Up wi' the carls o' Dysart
And the lads o' Buckhaven
And the kimmers o' Largo
And the lassies o' Leven

Chorus: Hey ca' thro', ca' thro'
For we hae mickle a do
Hey ca' thro', ca' thro'
For we hae mickle a do

We hae tales to tell
And we hae songs to sing
We hae pennies tae spend
And we hae pints tae bring

Chorus

We'll live a' oor days
And them that comes behin'
Let them do the like
And spend the gear they win

Chorus

The ship you hired for love
But turn the boat about
There is more fish in the sea
Than e'er fro'er come out.

Chorus

© 2017 Barnaby Productions Inc.

credits

from Signature, released December 1, 2017

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all rights reserved

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IONA Washington, D.C.

IONA has been taking its unique brand of traditional Celtic music to festivals, arts centers, schools & house concerts all over North America and Europe since 1986, blending music from the various Celtic traditions with stories and a little humor - Barbara Ryan (vocals, bouzouki, bodhran), Bernard Argent (flute, doumbek), Chuck Lawhorn (bass), Jim Queen (fiddle, banjo) & Kathleen Larrick (dance). ... more

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