Every so often a song comes to mind that you haven’t listened to for years. Tonight I decided to play a Sheila Chandra tape for one song only… Lament of McCrimmon / Song of the Banshee.
It’s an Indian version of an old Scottish song, it seems… dating from 1746? Sometimes I think the information available on the web gets more and more choppy, and you’re lucky if you can find what you’re looking for. I found a bit more when I searched for MacCrimmon instead of McCrimmon! There’s a bit in the Wikipedia — look down the page for Donald Ban.
Anyway, I’m Scottish… we like our mournful dirges.
No more, no more, no more forever
In war nor in peace shall return MacCrimmon
Till dawns the great day of dule and burning
MacCrimmon is home no more returning
The full lyrics are under the YouTube video — if you’ve never seen an Indian banshee, now’s your chance…
Apr 23, 2010 @ 15:41:58
Ooohhh…I haven’t heard this song in years…I’d forgotten how much I love it. Thanks. I’ve not heard this version before and wow…it workss. As oddness would have it *this* version is sampled in another song I know…I had always wondered hat version of it it was. Now I know…
Funny how things come around like that…:)
Apr 26, 2010 @ 08:11:59
Glad to help.
Apr 23, 2010 @ 16:31:29
Mudcat.org is always a reliable source for info on traditional songs, and here’s a relevant thread:
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=66839
Apr 26, 2010 @ 08:12:52
Thank you — have a feeling I saw Mudcat in my Google searches but can’t remember if I followed it up or not. I hadn’t heard of it.