"The Road to Dundee", or "The Road and the Miles to Dundee" (
Roud
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud (born 1949), a former librarian in the London ...
2300) is a traditional
Scottish folk ballad.
Synopsis
On a cold windy night a woman asks a man the way to
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
. He replies that it is difficult to describe, but he will accompany her along the road. He takes a liking to her and exchanges a token with her. They never meet again, but he will always remember her. The Irish version has
Carnlough
Carnlough ( ; ) is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated in Mid and East Antrim district, as well the historic barony of Glenarm Lower, and the civil parishes of Ardclinis and Tickmacrevan. It had a population of 1,512 peopl ...
Bay instead of Dundee, and there is no exchange of tokens.
Origins
The earliest known printing of the words was in the ''
Buchan Observer
The ''Buchan Observer'' is a local weekly newspaper based in Peterhead which serves Peterhead and surrounding Buchan. Known locally as ''The Buchanie'', the ''Observer'' is renowned for its coverage of the town's football club, Peterhead F.C. The ...
'' in 1908. In 1930 the words and tune were given in John Ord's "Bothy Ballads". The tune there is in the minor key, and is not used today. The tune that is now usually fitted to the words is given in
Colm O'Lochlainn's "Irish Street Ballads" (1939). This might explain why the song is claimed both by the Scots and the Irish. The Irish version of the words is "Carnlough Bay", which is in County Antrim.
Edith Fowke
Edith Fowke, ''(née'' Margaret Fulton; 30 April 1913 Lumsden, Saskatchewan – 28 Mar 1996 Toronto) was a Canadian folklorist.Nygaard King, Betty and Ruth Pincoe. Fowke was educated at the University of Saskatchewan. She hosted the CBC Radio ...
recovered a version in Ontario in 1957. Some sources claim that it was written by Alex MacKay, from Antrim in about 1900, but without printed evidence it is hard to establish this claim.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
used the tune for the song "
Walls of Red Wing
"Walls of Red Wing" is a folk and protest song, written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Originally recorded for Dylan's second album, ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'',Bauldie, John, ''Linear Notes to The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3'' it w ...
" on ''
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991
''The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3'' is a box set by Bob Dylan issued on Columbia Records. It is the first installment in Dylan's Bootleg Series, comprising material spanning the first three decades of his career, from 1961 to 1989. It has been c ...
''.
Recorded versions
"The Road to Dundee":
* Calum Kennedy issued as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
(1956)
* Robert Wilson on ''At the Royal Albert Hall'' (1958)
*
Ewan MacColl
James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...
and Peggy Seeger on ''Bothy Ballads of Scotland'' (1961)
*
Andy Stewart issued as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
of a single (1961)
* Ian Campbell on ''The Singing Campbells'' (1965)
* Grant Frazer on LP from the 1960s. FAR AND AWAY the best version.
*
The Corries
The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. The group was a trio from their formation until 1966 when founder Bill Smith left the band but Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne continued ...
on ''Scottish Love Songs'' (1969)
*
Glen Daly
Glen Daly (born Bartholomew Francis McGovern McCann Dick (1920–1987) was a Scottish singer and entertainer.
Career
Daly was born in Calton, Glasgow, where he attended St Mary's School. On completing his education he started work in the Clyde ...
on ''A Glasgow Night Out'' (1971)
* Bully Wee Band on ''Bully Wee'' (1975)
*
Max Boyce
Maxwell Boyce, (born 27 September 1943) is a Welsh comedian, singer and entertainer. He rose to fame in the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in a South Wales mining community. B ...
on ''The Road And The Miles'' (1977)
* The Knowe O'Deil Band on ''Orcadia'' (1986)
*
Bert Jansch
Herbert Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s as an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter ...
on ''
The Ornament Tree
''The Ornament Tree'' is the 18th album by Scotland, Scottish Folk music, folk musician Bert Jansch, released virtually simultaneously with another album, ''Sketches (album), Sketches''.
Track listing
All songs Traditional unless otherwise note ...
'' (1990)
*
Fred Jordan on ''In Course of Time'' (1991)
*
Jim Diamond on ''
Sugarolly Days'' (1994)
* Mick West on ''Right Side of The People'' (1997)
* Matthew Gurnsey on ''Kilted Concertina'' (2003)
*
Elizabeth Marvelly on ''Elizabeth Marvelly'' (2007)
"Sweet Carnlough Bay" or "Carron Lough Bay" or "Carnloch Bay":
* Finbar and Eddie Furey on ''The Lonesome Boatman'' (1969)
* Wolfhound on ''Best of the Wolfhound'' (1974)
*
Battlefield Band
Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band.
The band is noted for t ...
on ''On the Rise'' (1986)
*
Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning of ...
on ''Rifles of the I.R.A.'' (1991)
* Julee Glaub on ''Fields Faraway'' (2002)
* Martha Clancy on ''The Towns I Love so Well'' (2004) (harp)
*
The Paul McKenna Band on “Between Two Worlds” (2009)
*
Roy Bailey on ''Below the Radar'' (2009)
Lyrics
Rampant Scotland
Lyrics with musical score
Pub session tunes
Lyrics for "Sweet Carnloch Bay"
Irish Lyrics
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Road To Dundee, The
Scottish folk songs