Song picture
Twa Corbies
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This is the 'oldest Scottish folk song' - from exactly the area where I live and work, the Scottish Borders. My arrangement is derived from Archie Fisher, Jansch and others but has a different exact melody and accompaniment.
folk song scottish medieval old crows corbies
Artist picture
Solo singer-songwriter and tunesmith playing British fingerstyle steel and nylon string guitar, and historic instruments. Scots and Irish influences.
I've been writing and playing songs and tunes since teenage years in folk clubs and pubs. I co-organise the Kelso Friday night live music sessions at the Cross Keys (hosted singaround 7.45-10pm) and Cobbles Inn (10-12pm open mic with The Cobbles Band) with the help of many friends. All welcome! Visit us at kelsofolkandlive co uk. It is worth clicking on the tab because the sound quality of my tracks is far higher than the auto player on this page. Many can be streamed or downloaded at 320KBps and the enhancement for solo guitar/voice far exceeds the benefit you get for highly compressed band recordings. My recordings are full dynamic, not compressed. Just select Hi-Fi for the first song, and an MP3 high bitrate window will open - you will still get a sequence of songs. Most of my downloads are free, but some 320KBps tracks are paid-for. These are selected because they make up my main instrumental album. I now have a YouTube page and have started doing some video recordings for fun: @daviddkilpatrick I have mainly played Lowden guitars since 1999. I current play a 1985 S5FN (nylon string), 1986 S22 (jumbo O-size mahogany/cedar), and 1995 S32 (small body rosewood/spruce). I also play my own 1997-built Martin 'kit' Grand Auditorium rosewood/spruce, a Sigma OM-T, Furch Little Jane, Tacoma Papoose, Guild 8-string baritone, Vintage V880 parlour guitar and Gordon Giltrap signature model, a Troubadour mahogany/spruce classical and an Adam Black 12-string. And that's just the guitars... also viola, mandolin, mandola, waldzither, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, low D whistle, keyboards.
Song Info
Charts
Peak #14
Peak in subgenre #2
Author
David Kilpatrick
Rights
David Kilpatrick
Uploaded
November 24, 2003
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.3 MB 128 kbps 3:36
Story behind the song
Twa Corbies - 'the two crows' - is supposed to date from the 13th century. The song, although Scots, is also current south of the Border and the language used in it reflects Northern English just as much as Lowland Scots. This is one of my first recordings made using a 4-track tape in 1996.
Lyrics
As I was walking on my lane I heard twa corbies makin' a mane The tane untae the tither did say Whaur sall we gan tae dine the day? It's in ahent yon auld fell-dyke (drystone wall) Ah wot there lies a new-slain knicht An' nay-one kens that he lies there Save his hawk, his hoond, an' his lady fair His hawk has tae the huntin' gaen His hoond tae fetch the wildfowl hame His lady's found anither mate An' we maun mak' oor dinner sae swate (sweet) An' ye'll sit on his white haus-bane (collar bone) An' I'll peek oot his bonny blue een (eyes) An wi' a lock o' his gowden hair We'll theek (thatch) oor nests whan they grow bare Mony a ane fer him maks mane (many people lament for him) But nane sall ken whaur he is gane An' through his white banes whan they are bare The wind sall blaw fer ever mair
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