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Silver Whistle

[ Roud - ; Ballad Index K009 ; trad. arr. Prior / Tabor; Johnny Moynihan]

June Tabor, Maddy Prior, vocals;
Danny Thompson, bass;
Johnny Moynihan, whistles;
Andy Irvine, mandolin;
Nic Jones, fiddle

This “Jacobite song from Flora MacNeil of Barra (in Peter Kennedy, Folk Songs of Britain and Ireland, Cassell, 1975), substantially reduced,” is from Maddy Prior and June Tabor's album Silly Sisters. It starts unaccompanied but adds Danny Thompson's double bass from the second verse on and is followed by a tune from Johnny Moynihan.

Lyrics

O who will play the silver whistle
When my king's son to sea is going?
To Scotland prepares, prepares his coming
Upon a large ship o'er the ocean

The ship it has three masts of silver
With ropes so light of french silk woven
Upon each end are fixed golden pulleys
To bring my king's son ashore and landed.

When my king's son he comes back home
No girdle scones will food be for him
But loaves of bread, bread will be baking
For Charles with blue eyes so enticing.

O welcome to you, fame and honour
Fiddles and choice tunes attend you
I will be dancing, I will be singing
And I will play the silver whistle.

And I will play the silver whistle.