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King William was King George's Son​/​William Taylor​/​Flitter Dance​/​Greenwood Side​/​John MacKenzie's Fancy

from Branching Out by IONA

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King William was King George's Son/William Taylor/Flitter Dance/Greenwood Side(D. MacKenzie)/John MacKenzie's Fancy(J. A Barrie)
trad/Appalachian/Manx- American/Manx/Scottish

When we were on the Isle of Man, we heard an intriguing song of conscription and faithlessness, for which Annie Kissick, director of Caarjyn Cooidjagh, an a capella Manx choir, provided music and background. According to her research, the words originally appeared in the log of the whaling ship Herald out of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1817. Since the subject, William Taylor was "born and raised on the Isle of Man", we include a popular Manx tune, Flitter Dance, for dramatic impact. We open with an Appalachian gaming song, collected in Galax, VA, to cement the American tie-in. Bob pipes us out with a Scottish march, a hornpipe, and a Highland pipe version of the Flitter Dance.

lyrics

William Taylor

Willie was a youthful lover,
Full of love and full of care.
Soon his love he did discover
For a faithful lady fair.

Away they went for to be married,
Dressed they were in rich array.
But, instead of being married,
Pressed William was and sent to sea.

She dressed herself in scarlet velvet
And after her true love she did ride,
With a musket on her shoulder
And a pistol by her side.

And when on board this lady entered
By the name of Richard West,
There the wind did blow her waistcoat
And exposed her milk white breast.

"O good lady", says the captain,
"What misfortune brought you here?"
"Twas for the sake of William Taylor
That was pressed and sent to sea".

"If his name is William Taylor,
Born and raised on the Isle of Man,
You shall see him without a-roving,
For there he walks along the strand."

She rose early in the morning,
Just before the break of day,
There she spied bold William Taylor,
Walking out with his lady gay.

She called for a sword and pistol,
Which were brought at a command.
She fired and shot bold William Taylor,
With his bride at his right hand.
© 2003 Barnaby Productions Inc.

credits

from Branching Out, released June 10, 2003
Bernard Argent (Irish flute, whistles, doumbek)
Chuck Lawhorn (Bass guitar, vocals)
Bob Mitchell (Highland great pipes, Scottish small pipes)
Barbara Tresidder Ryan (Vocals, Celtic bouzouk, bodhrán)

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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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