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Sweet William​/​Muir of Ord​/​Barley's Reel

from Branching Out by IONA

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Sweet William/Muir of Ord (G. S. MacLennan)/Barley's Reel (Argent)
trad/Appalachian/Scottish/Irish

Collected in Galax, Virginia by the Lomaxes in the 1930's, Sweet William is firmly rooted in the folk traditions of the British Isles. The passion between two lovers is cursed by family and fate to end in tragedy, and everyone dies in the end. To emphasize the Scotch-Irish ancestry of Appalachia, Bob plays a Scottish march, and Bernard wrote the Irish style reel. Susan adds percussive clogging accompaniment, a variation of the Earl, a step originated by Earl White in North Carolina, and taught to her by veteran clogger Dana Bryant.

lyrics

Sweet William

It was in the merry, merry month of May,
when the meadows are fresh and gay,
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
and he went riding away.

He rode ‘til he came to fair Ellen's house,
he knocked and he tingled at the ring.
"Asleep or awake, fair Ellen," he said,
"pray arise and let me in".

Fair Ellen arose and she slipped on her clothes
to arise and let him in.
No one was so ready as fair Ellen herself
to arise and let him in.

He mounted her upon a milk white steed,
himself on the iron grey.
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
and they went riding away.

They rode ‘til they came in three miles of the place.
They stopped and they looked all around.
They stopped and they saw seven iron men,
a-hasting o'er the ground.

"Get down, get down fair Ellen," I said,
"and take my steed in hand,
‘Til I go back to yonder spring
and stop those seven iron men".

She stood ‘til she saw her six brothers fall,
her father he fell so near.
"Sweet William," she cried, "pray and stop your case,
for I fear you are too severe".

She took a handkerchief from her side,
‘twas made of linen so fine.
She took and she wiped his bleeding, bleeding wound
that ran red as any wine.

He mounted her upon a milk white steed,
himself on the iron grey.
He hung his bugles around about his neck,
and they went riding away.

He rode ‘til he came to his mother's house,
he knocked and he tingled at the ring.
"Asleep or awake, dear mother," he said,
"pray arise and let me in".

His mother arose and she slipped on her clothes
to let Sweet William in.
No one was so ready as his mother herself
to arise and let him in.

"Oh mother," he said, "come and bind up my head.
You never shall bind it any more."
Sweet William he died of the wounds that he bore,
and fair Ellen she died also.
© 2003 Barnaby Productions Inc.

credits

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

license

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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