Blow the Wind Southerly

The lilting folk song Blaw the Wind Southerly (now Blow the Wind Southerly) is an old bagpipe tune from the Northumbrian region in the south of Scotland. The tune was recorded by Laura Alexandrine Smith in The Music of the Waters (1888).

Many versions of the lyrics have developed over the decades. Most tell the story of a woman desperately hoping for the safe return of her love from across the sea. The lyric below was noted by Smith in The Music of the Waters (1888).

Blaw the wind southerly, southerly, southerly,
Blaw the wind southerly, south or south-west;
My lad's at the bar, at the bar, at the bar,
My lad's at the bar whom I love best.

Smith notes that sometimes the last two lines of this song are varied as follows:

Blaw the lad ti' the bar, ti' the bar, ti' the bar,
Blaw the lad ti' the bar that I love best.


The lyric below was noted by William Cole, et al., in Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (1969).

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 true 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.

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