Mingulay Boat Song

The "Mingulay Boat Song" is a song written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton (1874–1952) in the 1930s. The melody is described in Roberton's Songs of the Isles as a traditional Gaelic tune, probably titled "Lochaber".[1] The tune was part of an old Gaelic song, "Òran na Comhachaig" (the 'Creag Ghuanach' portion); from Brae Lochaber.[2] The song describes fishermen sailing homeward to the isle of Mingulay where their families wait.

Lyrics

Roberton's lyrics are as follows:[1]

Hill you ho, boys; Let her go, boys;
Bring her head round, now all together.
Hill you ho, boys; Let her go, boys;
Sailing home, home to Mingulay.

What care we though white the Minch is?
What care we for wind or weather?
Let her go boys! ev'ry inch is
Wearing home, home to Mingulay.

Wives are waiting on the bank, or
Looking seaward from the heather;
Pull her round boys! and we'll anchor,
Ere the sun sets at Mingulay.

Alternative lyrics

Later performers have adapted the song via folk process, with alterations to Roberton's lyrics. For example:

Chorus:
Heel y'ho boys / let her go boys
Bring her head round / into the weather
Heel y'ho boys / let her go boys
Sailing homeward / to Mingulay!

What care we boys / how white the Minch is?
What care we boys / of windy weather
when we know that / every inch is
sailing homeward / to Mingulay?

Chorus

Wives are waiting / on the pier heads,
Gazing seaward / from the heather.
Pull her head 'round / and we'll anchor
Ere the sun sets / on Mingulay!

Chorus

The McCalmans sang their own version on the 1973 album An Audience with the McCalmans.[3]

The Corries, among the best known performers of the song, used the following words:[4]

Chorus
Heel yo ho, boys, let her go, boys
Swing her head round and all together
Heel yo ho, boys, let her go, boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

What care we though white the minch is
What care we for wind or weather
Swing her head round, every inch is
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Chorus

Wives are waiting by the quayside
They've been waiting since break of day-o
Swing her head round, every inch is[alt 1]
Sailing homeward to Mingulay[alt 2]

Chorus

When the wind is wild with shouting
And the waves mount ever higher
Anxious eyes turn ever seaward
To see us home, boys, to Mingulay

The Longest Johns adapted the lyrics on their album Between Wind And Water:[6]

Chorus
Heave 'er ho, boys; let her go, boys;
Swing her head round, into the weather,
Heave 'er ho, boys; let her go, boys;
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

What care we though, white the Minch is?
What care we, boys, for windy weather?
When we know that every inch is
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Chorus

Wives are waiting, by the pier head,
Gazing seaward, from the heather;
Bring her 'round, boys, then we'll anchor
'ere the sun sets on Mingulay.

Chorus

Ships return now, heavy laden
Mothers holdin' bairns a-cryin'
They'll return, yet, when the sun sets
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.

Chorus

The Storm Weather Shanty Choir performed the song on their album A Drop of Nelson's Blood with these lyrics:

We are workers at the hawser
We are workers since break of day
We are workers at the hawser
As the sun sets on Mingulay

Chorus

Heel y’ho boys, let her go, boys
Bring her head round into the weather
Heel y’ho boys, let her go boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

What care we though white the Minch is
What care we for wind and weather?
Let her go boys, every inch is
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Chorus

Heel y’ho boys, let her go, boys
Bring her head round into the weather
Heel y’ho boys, let her go boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Wives are waiting by the pier head
or looking seaward from the heather.
Pull her ’round boys, and we’ll anchor
‘ere the sun sets on Mingulay

Chorus

Heel y’ho boys, let her go, boys
Bring her head round into the weather
Heel y’ho boys, let her go boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

Ships return now, heavy laden
Mothers holdin’ their bairns a-cryin’
They’ll return though, when the sun sets
They’ll return back to Mingulay

Chorus

Heel y’ho boys, let her go, boys
Bring her head round into the weather
Heel y’ho boys, let her go boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay

  1. or "and we'll anchor"[5]
  2. or "As the sun sets o'er Mingulay"[5]

References
  1. Roberton, Hugh S. (1937). "Mingulay Boat Song". Songs of the Isles. London: J. Curwen & Sons. pp. 22–23.
  2. "Craig Uanach". Bliadhna nan Òran (in Scottish Gaelic). BBC. 2015.
  3. "The Mingulay Boat Song Lyrics". The McCalmans. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  4. The Corries --- Mingulay Boat Song. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  5. The Corries - Mingulay Boat Song. 1987. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  6. The Longest Johns --- Mingulay Boat Song. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30.
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