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Willie o'Winsbury
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A song which appears in most British traditions and is sometimes considered to be Scottish. One of my favourite ballads. With 2nd part played on a Troubadour Lionheart bouzouki.
singer songwriter acoustic folk british guitarist song celtic traditional fingerstyle scottish scotland guitar kelso
Artist picture
Solo singer-songwriter and tunesmith playing British fingerstyle steel and nylon string guitar, and historic instruments. Scots and Irish influences.
I've been writing and playing songs and tunes since teenage years in folk clubs and pubs. I co-organise the Kelso Friday night live music sessions at the Cross Keys (hosted singaround 7.45-10pm) and Cobbles Inn (10-12pm open mic with The Cobbles Band) with the help of many friends. All welcome! Visit us at kelsofolkandlive co uk. It is worth clicking on the tab because the sound quality of my tracks is far higher than the auto player on this page. Many can be streamed or downloaded at 320KBps and the enhancement for solo guitar/voice far exceeds the benefit you get for highly compressed band recordings. My recordings are full dynamic, not compressed. Just select Hi-Fi for the first song, and an MP3 high bitrate window will open - you will still get a sequence of songs. Most of my downloads are free, but some 320KBps tracks are paid-for. These are selected because they make up my main instrumental album. I now have a YouTube page and have started doing some video recordings for fun: @daviddkilpatrick I have mainly played Lowden guitars since 1999. I current play a 1985 S5FN (nylon string), 1986 S22 (jumbo O-size mahogany/cedar), and 1995 S32 (small body rosewood/spruce). I also play my own 1997-built Martin 'kit' Grand Auditorium rosewood/spruce, a Sigma OM-T, Furch Little Jane, Tacoma Papoose, Guild 8-string baritone, Vintage V880 parlour guitar and Gordon Giltrap signature model, a Troubadour mahogany/spruce classical and an Adam Black 12-string. And that's just the guitars... also viola, mandolin, mandola, waldzither, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, low D whistle, keyboards.
Song Info
Charts
Peak #58
Peak in subgenre #4
Author
Trad. Arr David Kilpatrick
Rights
David Kilpatrick
Uploaded
November 24, 2003
Track Files
MP3
MP3 5.5 MB 128 kbps 5:59
Story behind the song
I've been doing this song for a long time now, though it changes and evolves all the time The basis is John Renbourn's classic recording, and I suspect the same applies to many of the other versions I have since heard. The Northern and Scottish vocal twists are gratuitous and just a bit of fun; you can sing this one in a fairly posh accent and get away with it. If my daughter ever looks unexpectedly pregnant, I must remember to have a stone ready.
Lyrics
The king has been a prisoner For many's the year in Spain And Willie o'Winsbury Lang wi' his dochter has lain Aw Janet, aw Janet, ma dochter dear Why ye look so pale and wan Have ye had some sore sickness? Or have ye been sleepin' wi' a man? Oh, it is not with any sore sickness Nor have I been sleepin' wi' a man; I was for you, ma father dear, Fer bidin' sae lang in Spain Cast down, cast down your berry-brown gown Stand nakit on the stone That I may know you by yer shape If you be a maiden or none And she's cast down her berry-brown gown Stood nakit on the stone And her apron was low, and her belly was round And her eyes were pale and wan Oh, wis it wi' an earl, or a laird, or a knicht? Or a man of birth in vain (Alt: worth and fame, Both-in-Bain) Or was it wi' one o' me servin'-men That's lately come oot o' Spain? Well it wasn't wi' an earl, or a laird, or a knicht Or a man o' worth and fame Oh it was with Willie of Winsbury I could bide no langer alane And the kind he has called his merrymen, oh By thirty and by three Saying, fetch me this Willie o'Winsbury For hanged he shall surely be And when he came the king before He was dressed all in the red silk His hair was like the threads o' gowd An' his skin wis as white as the milk Aw, it is no wonde, said the king That ma dochter's luv ye did win If ah was a woman as ah am a man Ma bed-fellow you should ha' bin Oh, will ye marry ma dochter Janet By the truth o' thy right hand? Oh if ye'll marry ma dochter Janet I'll mak thee a laird o' ma land Oh, I will marry your daughter Janet By the truth o' my right hand Oh, I will marry your daughter Janet But I'll not be a laird in your land And he's mounted her on a milk-white steed And himself on a dapple grey And he's made the lady of as much land As ye'll ride in a long summer day
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