> Folk > Songs > The Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily / Farewell to Sicily / Banks of Sicily
The Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily / Farewell to Sicily / Banks of Sicily
[
Roud 10501
; Ballad Index DalC106
; words Hamish Henderson, tune Pipe Major James Robertson]
Norman Buchan: 101 Scottish Songs Karl Dallas: The Cruel Wars
Ewan MacColl sang Farewell to Sicily in 1958 on his Topic album Barrack Room Ballads which was reissued with additional songs in 1965 as Bundook Ballads. This track was also included on his Topic anthologies The Real MacColl (1993), The Definitive Collection (2003), and An Introduction to Ewan MacColl (2018). He noted:
A noble pipe tune, Farewell to the Creeks, supplied the melody for this fine song of the Sicilian campaign in the Second World War. The text is by Hamish Henderson and is from his Ballads of World War II.
Nigel Denver sang Banks o’ Sicily in 1965 on his Decca album Moving On. He noted:
Written by Hamish Henderson about the Sicilian Campaign in the Second World War. How the soldiers must have felt is best pictured in the line—“Puir Bloody Bastards are Weary”.
Dick Gaughan sang 51st (Highland) Division’s Farewell to Sicily in 1977 on his Highway/Trailer album Kist o’ Gold. He noted on his now defunct website:
This was my first attempt at recording this. Two problems resulted in my returning to it 20 years later. The first was my comparative youth and the second was the limitations of analogue recording—there came a point when the tape hiss was louder than the fading guitar notes and so I had to sing the song faster than I would have liked. The digital technology of the 90s meant no tape noise so I could at last give the notes their full value, leaving them to decay almost to silence. In my late teens, this was very popular, sung as a rather jaunty march. One night in the late 60s, I heard it performed by the singer Nigel Denver, who seemed to add a poignancy to the song I hadn’t heard before and this started my lifelong obsession with it. I have become increasingly aware of the elegiac nature of the piece and also its affinity with piobaireachd. I believe it to be a supreme example of the creation of new art within the aesthetics of traditional culture. The guitar was tuned DAAEAE.
and:
Written by Hamish Henderson to the tune Farewell to the Creeks, composed by Pipe-Major James Robertson.
In the true folk process, slight alterations have developed over the years in the way I sing this. [Dick had swapped the last lines of verses 2-3 and 8.]
Yorkshire Relish sang The 51st Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily in 1980 on their Traditional Sound album An Old Family Business. They noted:
Written by folklorist and poet Hamish Henderson. His poignant words are perfectly complemented by the tune, Farewell to the Creeks, composed by Pipe Major James Robertson of Banff. Taken from the Karl Dallas compilation The Cruel Wars.
The Gaugers sang The Banks of Sicily in 1990 on their City of Aberdeen Libraries cassette The Fighting Scot.
Old Blind Dogs sang The Banks o’ Sicily in 1994 on their Lochshore album Tall Tails. Ian F. Benzie noted:
The words of this song were written by Hamish Henderson and put to the pipe tune The Creeks. There is a rock formation outside the harbour at Portsoy, Banffshire known locally as “The Breeks”, and I often wonder if this was the original title to the pipe tune.
Al O’Donnell sang Banks of Sicily on his 2008 album Ramble Away.
Ken McNaughton sang The Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily live at St Andrew’s in the Square, Glasgow, during Celtic Connections 2018. This recording was included in the same year on the TMSA DVD 101 Scottish Songs: The Wee Red Book 3.
Lyrics
Hamish Henderson’s The Highland Division’s Farewell to Sicily
The pipie is dozie, the pipie is fey,
He wullnae come roon for his vino the day.
The sky ower Messina is unco an’ grey
And a’ the bricht chaulmers are eerie.
Then fare weel ye banks o’ Sicily
Fare ye weel ye valley an’ shaw.
There’s nae Jock will mourn the kyles o’ ye
Puir bliddy bastards are weary.
And fare weel ye banks o’ Sicily
Fare ye weel ye valley an’ shaw.
There’s nae hame can smoor the wiles o’ ye
Puir bliddy bastards are weary.
Then doon the stair and line the waterside
Wait your turn, the ferry’s awa.
Then doon the stair and line the waterside
A’ the bricht chaulmers are eerie.
The drummie is polisht, the drummie is braw
He cannae be seen for his webbin ava.
He’s beezed himsel up for a photo an’ a’
Tae leave wi his Lola, his dearie.
Then fare weel ye dives o’ Sicily
(Fare ye weel ye shieling an’ ha’)
And fare weel ye byres and bothies
Whaur kind signorinas were cheerie.
And fare weel ye dives o’ Sicily
(Fare ye weel ye shieling an’ ha’)
We’ll a’ mind shebeens and bothies
Whaur Jock made a date wi’ his dearie.
Then tune the pipes and drub the tenor drum
(Leave your kit this side o’ the wa’)
Then tune the pipes and drub the tenor drum—
A’ the bricht chaulmers are eerie.
Dick Gaughan sings 51st (Highland) Division’s Farewell to Sicily
The pipie is dozie, the pipie is fey
He wullnae come roun for his vino the day
The sky owre Messina is unco an gray
An aa the bricht chaumers are eerie
Fareweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye valley an shaw
There’s nae Jock will murn the kyles o ye
Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie
Fareweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye valley an shaw
There’s nae hame can smour the wiles o ye
Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie
Then doun the stair an line the watterside
Wait yer turn the ferry’s awa
Then doun the stair an line the watterside
Aa the bricht chaumers are eerie
The drummie is polisht, the drummie is braw
He cannae be seen for his wabbin ava
He’s beezed himsell up for a photie an aa
Tae leave wi his Lola, his dearie
Fareweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye sheilin an haa
We’ll aa mind shebeens an bothies
Whaur kind signorinas were cheerie
Fareweill ye banks o Sicily
Fare ye weill ye sheilin an haa
We’ll aa mind shebeens an bothies
Whaur Jock made a date wi his dearie
Then tune the pipes an drub the tenor drum
Leave yer kit this side o the waa
Then tune the pipes an drub the tenor drum
Puir bluidy swaddies are wearie
Old Blind Dogs sing The Banks o’ Sicily
The pipie is dozy, the pipie is fay,
He winna be roon for his vino the day,
The sky ower Messina is unco and grey,
And a’ the bricht chaulmers are eerie.
So fareweel ye banks o’ Sicily,
Fare ye weel ye valley and sha’.
There’s nae Jock will mourn the Kyles o’ ye
A’ the bricht chaumers are eerie.
So fareweel ye banks o’ Sicily,
Fare ye weel ye valley and sha’
There’s nae hame will smoor the wyles
O’ ye peer bloody squaddies are weary.
So doon the stair and line the watterside,
Wait yer turn the ferry’s awa,
Doon the stair and line the watterside
A’ the bricht chaumers are eerie.
The drummie is polished, the drummie is braw,
He canna be seen for his webbin’ ave.
He’s beezed himsel’ up for a photie an’ a
Tae gie tae his Lola his dearie.
So fareweel ye dives o’ Sicily,
Fare ye weel baith sheiling and ha’.
We’ll a’ min’ shebeens and bothies
Where kind senoritas were cheery.
Fareweel ye dives o’ Sicily,
Fare ye weel baith sheiling the ha’.
We’ll a’ min’ shebeens and bothies
Where Jock made a date we’ his dearie.
So tune the pipe and drub the tenor drum,
Leave yer kit this side o’ the wa’,
Tune the pipe and drub the tenor drum,
A’ the bricht chaumers are eerie.