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Time Wears Awa

[ Roud 21760 ; Ballad Index McSc049 ; trad.]

This reminiscing love song from the repertoire of Border shepherd Willie Scott was printed in Alison McMorland’s book on Scott, Herd Laddie o’ the Glen. Alison McMorland sang it Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in January 2001, which was included in the following year on Greentrax’ Celtic Connections concert recording, Scots Women, and on her 2007 Greentrax CD with Geordie McIntyre, White Wings.

Emily Smith sang Time Wears Awa in 2002 on her Foot Stompin’ CD A Day Like Today. She noted:

I learnt this song from the beautiful singing of Alison McMorland. It’s a song that goes back through several generations as Alison learnt it from the Border shepherd Willie Scott, and Willie learnt it from his mother. The song is a very tender love song and is about a couple looking back on all the happy years they have spent together, the best of those being during their youth.

Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller sang Time Wears Awa in 2008 year on their Greentrax CD, In a Bleeze. They noted:

This song was collected from the Border shepherd Willie Scott. It was sung by his mother. The text and tune can befound in Herd Laddie o’ the Glen, Alison McMorland’s fine collection of Willie’s songs.

The Unusual Suspects sang Time Wears Awa in February 2010 at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, which was recorded and released in the same year in their CD Big Like This.

Emma Spiers sang Time Wears Awa at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2011. This recording was included in the following year on the festival anthology The Little Ball of Yarn (Old Songs & Bothy Ballads Volume 8). The album’s liner notes said:

A song from the repertoire of the Border shepherd Willie Scott who remembered the song from his mother’s singing.

Lyrics

Emily Smith sings Time Wears Awa

Oh but the oors rin fast awa, like the Kelvin tae the Clyde
Sin’ on its bonnie gowan banks I wooed ye for ma bride
My ain dear lass, sae fresh an’ fair, sae artless and sae young
When love wis a’ the grief we kent, and ye my only care

Chorus (after each verse):
Time wears awa, time wears awa and winna let us be
It stole the wild rose frae yer cheek and the blithe blink frae yer ee’

When woods were green an’ flooers fair, and ye were a’ my ain
I little reckoned what years would bring o’ poorteth, toil and pain
Some wayfull oors hae flapped their wings, dark shadows are oor lot
Sin’ like twa cuchets o’er a glen, we strayed in this dear spot

The memories o’ oor happy days steal on oor dreams by nicht
As cherished reveries rise and glow wi’ their depairted licht
But still the birds and burnies sing their wildered melodies
As in the gowden dawn o’ youth when we were young and free

Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller sing Time Wears Awa

O’ but the ’oors rin fast awa, like the Kelvin tae the Clyde,
Sin’on its bonnie gowan banks I wooed thee for my bride.
My ain dear love, sae sweet an young, sae artless and sae fair,
Then love was a’the grief we kent and you my only care.

Chorus (after each verse):
Time wears awa, time wears awa, and winna let us be;
It stole the wild rose frae my cheek and the blyth blink frae your ee.

When woods were green and flooers fair and you were a’ my ain,
I little reckoned what years would bring o poortith, toil and pain;
Some waeful ’oors, hae flapped their wings, dark shadows ower oor lot,
Sin like twa cushats o’the glen we strayed in this dear spot.

The voices o’these happy days steal on our dreams by night,
And cherished mem’ries rise and glow with their depairted light;
But still the birds and burnies sing their ’wildered melodies,
As in the gowden dawn o’life when we were young and free.