Lyrics
Blow the Wind Southerly
Maritime-themed Song
John Stobbs (1817-18??)
Chorus
Blow the wind Southerly, Southerly, Southerly,
Blow the wind South o−er the bonnie blue sea;
Blow the wind Southerly, Southerly, Southerly,
Blow bonnie breeze, my lover to me.
They told me last night there were ships in the offing,
And I hurried down to the deep rolling sea;
But my eye could not see it
Wherever might be it,
The bark that is bearing my lover to me.
(Chorus)
The ships there were many a blowing and bowin−
And bending right o−er in the salty sea foam;
‘Til my eye did behold it,
As many had told it,
The great bonnie ship of my lover come home.
(Chorus)
My sweetheart had fared through the winter unfriendly:
His ship came along in the early spring tide.
Now my heartache is ended;
All rifts now are mended;
My lover will soon be right here by my side.
(Chorus)
Song Notes
Former member Maggie Hannington discovered this song in her research for a maritime piece to be included in Bounding Main’s first professional CD, Maiden Voyage. It was arranged for her and Christie Dalby and Gina Dalby to sing together as a trio.
This song was curated in the 1882 collection, Northumbrian Minstrelsy, but while credited to John Stobbs, it appears that he expanded a fragment of a much older song and published it under his name. The tune is also known as the fiddle jig, “Biddy from Sligo” – the first half only.
More information can be found here: Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music, and here: Mudcat Café.