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The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond

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View of Loch Lomond, December 2005
"Loch Lomond"
Performed by Southern Aire of the United States Air Force Reserve Band
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"The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or "Loch Lomond" for short, is a Scottish song (Roud No. 9598).[1][2] The song prominently features Loch Lomond, the largest Scottish loch. In Scots, "bonnie" means "fair" or "beautiful".[3]

Lyrics

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By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

Chorus:
O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

'Twas there that we parted, in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomond,
Where in soft purple hue, the highland hills we view,
And the moon coming out in the gloaming.

Chorus

The wee birdies sing and the wildflowers spring,
And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.
But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again,
Though the waeful may cease frae their grieving.

Chorus

Interpretation

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Historian Murray G. H. Pittock writes that the song "is a Jacobite adaptation of an eighteenth-century erotic song, with the lover dying for his king, and taking only the 'low road' of death back to Scotland."[4] It is one of many poems and songs that emerged from Jacobite political culture in Scotland.[4] It has been said that there are melodic phrases within the music which are similar to phrases in the song The Bonniest Lass In A' The World.[5] It has been described as a folksong.[6]

Andrew Lang

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About 1876, the Scottish poet and folklorist Andrew Lang wrote a poem based on the song titled "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond".[7][8] The title sometimes has the date "1746" appended[9][10]—the year of the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie's rebellion and the hanging of some of his captured supporters. Lang's poem begins

There's an ending o' the dance, and fair Morag's safe in France,
And the Clans they hae paid the lawing,

Morag—great one in Gaelic—referred to Bonnie Prince Charlie, who fled to France after his forces were defeated.[11] Lawing means reckoning in Scots. The poem continues:

And the wuddy has her ain, and we twa are left alane,
Free o' Carlisle gaol in the dawing.

Wuddy means hangman's rope, according to Lang's own notes on the poem; dawing is dawn.[12] The poem continues with the song's well-known chorus, then explains why the narrator and his true love will never meet again:

For my love's heart brake in twa, when she kenned the Cause's fa',
And she sleeps where there's never nane shall waken

The poem's narrator vows to take violent revenge on the English:

While there's heather on the hill shall my vengeance ne'er be still,
While a bush hides the glint o' a gun, lad;
Wi' the men o' Sergeant Môr shall I work to pay the score,
Till I wither on the wuddy in the sun, lad!

"Sergeant Môr" is John Du Cameron, a supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie who continued fighting as an outlaw until he was captured and hanged in 1753.[12]

Irish variant

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The Irish variant of the song is called "Red Is the Rose" and is sung with the same melody but different (although similarly themed) lyrics.[13] It was popularized by Irish folk musician Tommy Makem. Even though many people mistakenly believe that Makem wrote "Red Is the Rose", it is a traditional Irish folk song.[14][15]

Arrangements and recordings

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"Loch Lomond" has been arranged and recorded by many composers and performers over the years, in several genres ranging from traditional Scottish folk to barbershop to rock and roll.[2]

Loch Lomond (Runrig cover)

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"Loch Lomond"
Single by Runrig
B-side"Tuireadh Iain Ruaidh"
ReleasedDecember 1982[16]
StudioCastlesound Studios, Edinburgh[17]
Length4:27
LabelRidge
Songwriter(s)Traditional[17]
Producer(s)Chris Rainbow[17]
Runrig singles chronology
"Loch Lomond"
(1982) 		"Dance Called America"
(1984)
Runrig singles chronology
"Clash of the Ash"
(2007) 		"Loch Lomond (Hampden Remix)"
(2007) 		"Year of the Flood"
(2008)
Alternative cover

"Loch Lomond" is the debut single by Scottish celtic rock band Runrig, released in December 1982 as a non-album single. "Loch Lomond" is a cover version of the traditional Scots song, "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond". The song was released via Ridge Records, and was recorded at Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh.

In 2007, Runrig and the supporters of the Scotland national football team, the Tartan Army, recorded a remix version of "Loch Lomond", released as "Loch Lomond (Hampden Remix). It was a commercial success in both their native Scotland as well as the United Kingdom. It debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Charts, where it remained for four weeks, and debuted at number nine in the United Kingdom.[18][19] The 2007 remix was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry.[20] The Runrig song is often played at weddings, birthday parties and celebrations in Scotland, as well as by enjoyed by fans of the Scottish National football team.[21]

Background

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"Loch Lomond" was recorded as a cover version of the historic traditional Scottish song, "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond". The original songwriter and composer of "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" is unknown, thus, no songwriters are credited on the "Loch Lomond" release by Runrig. However, "The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond" was first published in a book entitled Vocal Melodies of Scotland in 1841, but it is estimated that the origins of the song can be traced back to at least back to the eighteenth century.[22]

"Loch Lomond" is credited as being about "two Scottish soldiers who were imprisoned on the Scottish border. They were tried, and one of them would be sentenced for execution while the other one would be set free". Lyrically, "Loch Lomond" centres around the events of the doomed soldier who is comforting the soldier who will be set free. The soldier, who will be let go, is thought to be deeply distraught about his friend's fate as suggested by the songs lyrics, however, his friend tells him that “you’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland before ye”. It is said that in traditional and ancient Scottish legend, anyone who passes away outside Scotland will take the “low road” back to their homeland, where they will finally be at peace.[22]

Recording and release

[edit]

The band first recorded a version of "Loch Lomond" for their album The Highland Connection which was released in 1979. Rather than having the song arranged in a composure that would create its arrangement as a ballad, the band decided to compose and frame their version within the rock band format of the album, with reasonably high pacing.[22] Runrig later re-recorded the song, leaning towards a significantly softer sound and purer ballad expression than their first version which was included on The Highland Connection.[22]

In an attempt to reach a wider audience, Runrig decided to release a single, with "Loch Lomond" chosen for its commercial appeal.[23] For the single release, the song was re-recorded at Castlesound Studios in Edinburgh.[24] Released in December 1982, "Loch Lomond" received high radio airplay in Scotland and sold very well there. The song also received some airplay in England, such as on Radio 1, through disc jockeys Simon Bates and Terry Wogan.[23][25]

The 2007 remix, re-recorded version was recorded with 50,000 Scotland national football team supporters, and coincided with the BBC Children in Need fundraiser in Scotland.[26] BBC Scotland were also involved in the recording process of the track, with Runrig claiming that they were "thrilled" to be part of the project to raise funds for Children in Need.[27] A rendition of the song was given in a 2021 documentary on Runrig and its songs.[28]

Legacy

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Supporters of German football team FC Köln sing a song to the tune of "Loch Lomond" before each match the club plays.[29][30] The song was later adopted as the clubs anthem.[31] Based on data from streaming network Spotify, The Scotsman ranked "Loch Lomond" as number one in the top five Runrig songs of all time.[32] At Scottish weddings, "Loch Lomond" is commonly played at the end of the wedding ceremony in celebration of a newly wedded couple.[33][34][35] The song has been described by the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame as a "rocking anthem", partly due to a concert held by the band in 1991 on Loch Lomond itself with a crowd of 45,000 to 50,000 people in attendance.[36][21] The song is described as being one of the band's best known songs.[37]

Commercial performance

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In the United Kingdom, "Loch Lomond" was the debut appearance by Runrig on the official UK Singles Chart following its debut and peak position of number eighty-six on 8 January 1983. It remained in the UK Top 100 for only one week, before falling out of the UK Top 100.[18] In 2007, the remix version of "Loch Lomond" which features the Tartan Army, the name of supporters of the Scotland national football team, debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Charts, giving Runrig their first and only UK Top 10 single. The 2007 version remained on the UK Singles Charts for four weeks.[18]

In their native Scotland, the 2007 remix featuring the Tartan Army debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Charts on 24 November 2007.[38] It remained at number one in Scotland for four weeks, keeping "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis from the top spot.[19] In its fifth week, it fell to number two, behind "What a Wonderful World" by Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua. In its sixth week, it fell to number four where it remained for two weeks,[39] before falling to number nine in the last week of December 2007.[39] By January 2008, it began to climb the charts again in Scotland, climbing to number seven.[40]

Track listing

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7": Ridge / RRS003 (1982)

  1. "Loch Lomond" – 4:27
  2. "Tuireadh Iain Ruaidh" – 2:28

CD: Ridge / RRS048 (2007)

  1. "Loch Lomond" (Hampden Remix) – 7:42
  2. "Clash of the Ash" – 3:16

Chart performance

[edit]
1982 release
[edit]
Chart (1983) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[41] 86
2007 remix
[edit]
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[42] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[43] 9

Classical music

[edit]

Ralph Vaughan Williams made an arrangement for baritone solo and unaccompanied male choir in 1921. It has been recorded several times, notably by the tenor Ian Partridge and the London Madrigal Singers for EMI in 1970.[44]

[edit]

Chinese singer-songwriter Li Jian used the melody[45] with Mandarin lyrics of a similar theme in his self-titled 2015 album.[non-primary source needed]

Australian rock band AC/DC covered this song, titled "Fling Thing", as the B-side to their single "Jailbreak". They also covered it (as "Bonny") in Glasgow on the collector's edition of their 1992 album AC/DC Live. "Fling Thing" was later remastered and released on the compilation album Backtracks.[citation needed]

Jazz

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The Jazz Discography, an online index of studio recordings, live recordings, and broadcast transcriptions of jazz – as of May 22, 2019 – lists 106 recordings of "Loch Lomond" and one recording of "Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond".

A notable big band version of "Loch Lomond", arranged by Claude Thornhill, was recorded in a live performance on January 16, 1938, by the Benny Goodman and His Orchestra on the album, The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, on January 16, 1938, featuring Martha Tilton on vocals (Columbia SL 160).

Jazz singer Maxine Sullivan, for whom it was a career-defining hit, recorded it at least 14 times:

TV and film

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The song is frequently used in TV and movies to convey a sense of Scottish story setting and/or character identity.

In Our Gang Follies of 1938, an American short musical film by Hal Roach, Annabelle Logan sings a rendition of "Loch Lomond" at the local talent show.[47] The song features in the 1940 American musical It's a Date.[48]

In the 1945 Sherlock Holmes film Pursuit to Algiers, starring Basil Rathbone, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) sings a rendition of "Loch Lomond" accompanied by Sheila Woodbury (Marjorie Riordan) on the piano.[49]

In the 1955 Disney animated classic Lady and the Tramp, one of its characters, Jock, a Scottish terrier, sings his own version of "The Bonnie Banks Of Loch Lomond" when he buries a new bone "in [his] bonnie, bonnie bank in the back yard".

In the 1958 Tom and Jerry short Robin Hoodwinked, Nibbles sings the first half of the chorus of "Loch Lomond".[50][51]

The song is heard in the 1963 Disney film The Three Lives of Thomasina.

The Marcia Blane music class is heard singing the song in the background in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

A recording of a Scotsman singing the song in captivity during the First World War featured in the 2007 BBC documentary How the Edwardians Spoke.[52]

In the children's cartoon, Animaniacs, it is heard in "Ups and Downs" as Wakko and Dr. Scratchansniff ride the elevator.[53][citation needed] It is also heard in the Animaniacs feature film Wakko's Wish.

In the 2021 film A Castle for Christmas it is sung by the cast during a pub scene.[citation needed]

In the American TV series The Simpsons, Groundskeeper Willie whistles the melody in the episode "Lard of the Dance".

In the Hal Roach short comedy film Tit for Tat, Stan Laurel sings a verse of this song after Oliver Hardy declares in a verbal altercation with his neighbor that he will take the "high road" and walk away.

In Smallville Season 7 Episode 19, the tune is featured under the title "The Birks of St Kilde." It is played by a grandfather clock and later by Lex Luthor on the piano as he quotes alternative plot-important lyrics: "On the shores of St Kilde, birks sway in the wind from the left to the right again."

In the 2000 movie Prince of Central Park J.J. Somerled, played the song in keyboard while Jerry Orbach as a businessman, sang the song.

In The Office Season 8 Episode 20 "Welcome Party" Andy sings an excerpt from the song.

References

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  1. ^ Vocal Melodies of Scotland
  2. ^ a b Fuld, James Jeffrey (1966). The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk. Crown. pp. 336 & 337. OCLC 637942931.
  3. ^ "Dictionars o the Scots Leid". Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b Murray G. H. Pittock, Poetry and Jacobite Politics in Eighteenth-Century Britain and Ireland (Cambridge University Press, 1994), pp. 136–137.
  5. ^ Fuld, James J. (1 January 2000). The Book of World-famous Music. Courier Corporation. p. 336. ISBN 978-0-486-41475-1.
  6. ^ Hirsch, Eric Donald; Kett, Joseph F.; Trefil, James; Trefil, James S. (2002). The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-618-22647-4.
  7. ^ "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" see also; from The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang, ed. Mrs. Lang, four vols. (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1923): I, 55–56
  8. ^ Andrew Lang (1844-1912) -- The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond
  9. ^ Poems of Andrew Lang: THE BONNIE BANKS O' LOCH LOMOND
  10. ^ Lang, Andrew (2000). Peter-Eric Philipp (ed.). The Complete Poems of Andrew Lang. Vol. 2. Xlibris. p. 235.
  11. ^ Am Baile – The Songs and Hymns of the Scottish Highlands. Part II Song 5
  12. ^ a b RPO – Andrew Lang : The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond Archived 2009-01-29 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Red is the Rose". Jennifer Tyson. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Irish love song Red is the Rose". Irish Music Daily. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024. Makem said he learned the song from his mother, Sarah, who was a well known singer and folk song collector from Armagh in Northern Ireland. ... A recording of Red is the Rose that was made in 1934 by Josephine Beirne and George Sweatman under the title, My Bonnie Irish Lass
  15. ^ Raymond Crooke (12 January 2009). "690. Red is the Rose (Traditional Irish)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2013.[unreliable source]
  16. ^ "New Singles". Record Business. 29 November 1982. p. 18.
  17. ^ a b c Loch Lomond (7-inch single liner notes). Runrig. Ridge Records. 1982. RRS003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ a b c "RUNRIG". Official Charts. 8 January 1983. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 16/12/2007". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  20. ^ "BRIT Certified". BPI. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  21. ^ a b Gibson, Darren (11 June 2021). "WATCH: Look back as Runrig play live at Loch Lomond". Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d "THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: "Loch Lomond" by Runrig". Rocking In the Norselands. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  23. ^ a b Jenkins, Lisa Davenport (2004). Celtic Connections: "Celticism" in Scottish Music. University of Michigan. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-496-69304-7.
  24. ^ "Runrig". www.allcelticmusic.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Surprise boost for Loch". The Lennox Herald. 11 February 1983. p. 12.
  26. ^ McNeil, Robert (2 June 2024). "Damn critics who took low road with proud purveyors of triumphalist jock rock Runrig". The Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Scotland fans record charity song". BBC. 14 October 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  28. ^ Russell, Greg (1 July 2021). "Runrig documentary There Must Be A Place offers insight into legendary band". The National. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Why do German football fans sing the Loch Lomond tune?". BBC News. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  30. ^ Online, Record Sport (26 September 2016). "Watch FC Köln fans belt out Runrig's Loch Lomond in stunning pre-match ritual". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  31. ^ Healey, Derek (26 September 2016). "VIDEO: German football club adopts Runrig's Loch Lomond as their anthem". Press and Journal. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  32. ^ "Best of Runrig". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  33. ^ Marshall, Carrie (20 July 2017). "11 songs we wish weren't played at every wedding". Metro. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  34. ^ Wilson, Caroline (4 May 2023). "After music and politics Donnie Munro drawn back to 'first love' career". The Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  35. ^ Strachan, Graeme (21 December 2022). "When Runrig made Caird Hall Christmas gigs a gift to their Dundee fans". The Courier. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Runrig". Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  37. ^ "Alba no more. Skye no more. Loch Lomond no more. Runrig say farewell". The Herald. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 25/11/2007". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 30/12/2007". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 6/1/2008". Official Charts. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  42. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  43. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  44. ^ "Loch Lomond (Volkslieder (Folksongs), set by (Ralph Vaughan Williams)) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)".
  45. ^ 消失的月光, 24 April 2020, retrieved 25 April 2023
  46. ^ "Flow Sweetly, Sweet Rhythm: The Maxine Sullivan Story". By Jan Souther (pseudonym of Rev. Thomas Francis Carten, C.S.C., Alumni Chaplin, Kings College; born 1942), The Sunday Voice (magazine of the Citizens' Voice). June 15, 2008, p. D6 (accessible via Newspapers.com (subscription required))
  47. ^ Demoss, Robert (9 November 2008). "The Lucky Corner: Our Gang Follies of 1938". Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  48. ^ Lowe, Barry (9 February 2024). Deanna Durbin in Hollywood. McFarland. p. 187-188. ISBN 978-1-4766-5175-0.
  49. ^ Fisk, Gregory. "Pursuit to Algiers 1945 – starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce". Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson – A Tribute. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  50. ^ "Robin Hoodwinked". Dr. Grob's Animation Review. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  51. ^ "Tom and Jerry "Robin Hoodwinked" Tuffy Production Cel (MGM, 1958)". Heritage Auctions. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  52. ^ How the Edwardians Spoke (TV Movie 2007) - IMDb, 6 May 2007, retrieved 23 April 2021
  53. ^ "Ups and Downs / The Brave Little Trailer / Yes, Always". B98.TV. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
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