“The Banks of the Clyde (I)”
Description
A young man comes up to a pretty girl, who reports that her Willie has gone over the sea. He asks her to marry; she replies, "Though he prove unconstant, I'll always prove true." He reveals himself as Willie; they will marry shortly
Notes
Certain lyrics to the Sam Henry version of this song are effectively identical to the Greenleaf text of "The Plains of Waterloo," and of course there are also plot similarities. But "The Banks of the Clyde" is a much more generic song, with no references to a dead soldier. And the similarities in other texts of the song is less pronounced. It appears to be a case of cross-fertilization rather than actual common descent. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "John (George) Riley (I)" [Laws N36] and references there
- cf. "The Plains of Waterloo (I)" [Laws N32] (plot, lyrics)
- cf. "The Maid of Dunmore" (partial plot, lyrics)
References
- SHenry H812, p. 310, "The Banks of the Clyde/One Fine Summer's Morning" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Roud #3815
- BI, HHH812