He had several hit singles - "Come in-Come in", "Donald where's yer troosers?", "A Scottish Soldier" (36 weeks in the chart in 1961), "Campbeltown Loch", "The Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre", "Tunes of Glory", and "Dr. Finlay". He is also remembered for being the compere of "The White Heather Club". This was a BBC television programme that existed as an annual New Year's Eve party (1957 - 1968) and also as a weekly early evening series (1960 - 1968). "Donald Where's Yer Troosers?" was a hit in 1961 and again in 1989. Andy does an Elvis impersonation half way through the song. On the strength of this comedy hit, Andy toured Australia and appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1968, doing impersonations of Dean Martin.
In retirement he moved back to Arbroath and died there in 1993. Before he died he did a small concert at Arbroath High School (which he had attended) for the pupils. A sheltered housing scheme in Arbroath, 'Andy Stewart Court', was named in his memory.
Stewart's son Ewan Stewart is an actor, whose film credits include Rob Roy and Titanic.
Barbara Allen
Andy Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there was a fair made dwellin'
And every youth had lost his heart,
To lovely barbara allen,
There aws a lad who loved her well,
But they had loved and parted
And now he lies his death bed on
He's broken hearted
the place where he was lyin',
And oh she said when she saw him there,
Young man I think you're dyin'.
The lyrics above are from the well-known folk ballad "Barbara Allen" as performed by Scottish singer Andy Stewart. The song tells the story of two lovers, one of whom is dying from a broken heart. The town where the story takes place is called scarlet town, and it is where the singer of the song was born.
The song's narrative focuses on the tragic love story between Barbara Allen and a young man who loved her deeply. Unfortunately, they had to part ways, and the young man now lies on his deathbed, heartbroken. Barbara Allen visits him, and the young man, close to death, expresses his deep love for her. She responds by coldly telling him that his love came too late, and she cannot return it.
The lyrics of "Barbara Allen" have been analysed and interpreted by scholars, literary critics, and musicians alike for centuries. Many believe that the song reflects the cultural values and social norms of the time it was written. Some see it as a warning about the dangers of love and the potential harm it can cause. Others view it as a commentary on the importance of timing in life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
In scarlet town where i was born,
I come from a town called Scarlet and this is where my story starts.
there was a fair made dwellin'
There was a fair going on that day.
And every youth had lost his heart,
All the young men were smitten by a girl named Barbara Allen.
To lovely barbara allen,
The cause of all the commotion and heartache was Barbara Allen.
There aws a lad who loved her well,
One young man in particular loved Barbara with all his heart.
But they had loved and parted
Unfortunately, Barbara and the young man had to part ways despite their love for each other.
And now he lies his death bed on
The young man is now on his death bed.
He's broken hearted
The reason for the young man's illness is his broken heart.
And slowly slowly she came in
Barbara slowly made her way into the sick room where the young man was lying.
The place where he was lyin'
The location of the young man's death bed.
And oh she said when she saw him there,
When Barbara saw the young man lying there, she said:
Young man I think you're dyin'.
I have a feeling that you might die soon, young man.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, ACUM Ltd.
Written by: Arr: STEWART, ANDY, TRAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind