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The Boatie Rows

[ Roud 3095 ; Ballad Index DTboatro ; Bodleian Roud 3095 ; DT BOATROW ; Mudcat 015788 ; trad.]

James Johnson: Scots Musical Museum Ewan MacColl: Scotland Sings

Jessie Murray of Portnockie, Banffshire, sang The Boatie Rows in July 1951 on the BBC recording 21531. It was later included on the anthology Sailormen and Servingmaids (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 6; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1970). Alan Lomax noted:

Patrick Buchan, in Mitchison’s Garland of Scotia (1841), writes that this ballad was composed before the beginning of the 18^th century and was called The Fisher’s Rant of Fittie. Later, one John Ewen, an Aberdeen jeweler, shortened and revised it for a Mr. Wilson who sang it on theatrical tours and started it on its long career of popularity in Scotland. I recorded it from the singing of Jesse Murray in the Northeast of Scotland in 1950. Jesse was born in the little fishing village of Portnockie in 1879 and in her youth sold fish from a basket in the streets of her hometown. She was still a spritely old lady with a fine memory and in good voice at the age of 71. As she sings this charming ditty, she makes you feel her sympathy and love for the Scots fisherman, who plowed the grey sea to feed their people.

Johnson, Scots Musical Museum Vol. V (about 1796).
Moffat, Minstrelsy of Scotland, (1869)
Mitchison, Garland of Scotia, (1841).

John Watt and Davey Stewart played the tune of The Boatie Rows in 1976 on their Springthyme album Shores of the Forth.

Cilla Fisher sang The Boatie Rows in 1983 on her Kettle album Songs of the Fishing.

Archie Fisher sang The Boatie Rows in 1986 on his Greentrax album with Garnet Rogers Off the Map. He noted:

The anthem of the inshore fishermen of the River Forth both in Fyfe and in the Lothians.

Harbour Lights sang The Boatie Rows on the 2009 Greentrax anthology People and Songs of the Sea.

The Petrels (Jackie Oates and Belinda O’Hooley) sang Minnie of Sherva’s Cradle Song (Da Boatie Sails) in 2011 on the album Fresh Handmade Sound: Validation.

The John Bellany Day Centre Folk and Alex Hodgson sang The Boatie Rows in 2015 on the Greentrax anthology A Tribute in Music and Song to John Bellany.

Lyrics

Jessie Murray sings The Boatie Rows

Weel, may the boatie row an muckle may she speed,
Weel, may the boatie row that wins the bairnie’s breid.

Chorus:
The boatie rows, the boatie rows, the boatie rows fare-weel,
And muckle luck maintain the boat, the mackerel and the creel.

We shot our line in Largo Bay and pishes we got nine,
We had three to b’ile and three to fry and three to bait the line.

O weel, may the boatie row that fills a heavy creel
And clads us a’ frae head to feet and buys our porridge meat.

When Sandy, Jock and Janet, they are up and gotten clear,
They help to gar the boatie row and lighten our care.

Cilla Fisher sings The Boatie Rows

O weel may the boatie row and muckle may she speed,
Weel may the boatie row that wins the bairnies’ bread.

Chorus:
The boatie rows, the boatie rows, the boatie rows fu’ weel
And muckle luck maintain the boat, the mackerel and the creel.

We dropped oor lines in Largo Bay and fishes we got nine.
There’s three tae boil ane three tae fry and three tae bait the line.

When Sandy, Jock and Janet too are up and gotten lear
They’ll help tae gar the boatie row and lighten a’ oor care.

O weel may the boatie row that fills a heavy creel.
And helps tae clads oor bairns and a’ and buys our porridge meal.

Archie Fisher sings The Boatie Rows

We cast our lines in Largo Bay and fishes we got nine.
There’s three to boil, there’s three to fry, and three to bait the line.

Chorus:
The boatie rows, the boatie rows, the boatie rows fit’ weel
And muckle luck maintain the boat and mackerel in the creel.

Weel may the boatie row and muckle may she speed,
Weel may the boatie row that wins the bairnies’ bread.

Weel may the boatie row and the lad that fills the creel.
He clads us all frae head to feet and buys our porridge meal.

(repeat first verse)