Wild Mountain Thyme
Emmylou Harris Rufus Wainwright Dick Gaughan & Kate & Anna McGarrigle Lyrics
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And the trees are sweetly blooming
Where the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Would you go, lassie, go?
And we′ll all go together
Where the wild mountain thyme
Would you go, lassie, go?
And I will build my love a bower
And yon pure crystal fountain
And around it I will place
All the colors of the mountain
Would you go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
Where the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Would you go, lassie, go?
And If my true love′s gone
I will surely find another
And to her I will sing
Things that make her know I want her
Would you go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
Where the wild mountain thyme
Grows around blooming heather
Would you go, lassie, go?
The song "Wild Mountain Thyme" is a classic Scottish folk tune that has been widely performed by artists, among them Emmylou Harris Rufus Wainwright, Dick Gaughan, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle. The lyrics depict a scene of the approaching summer and the blooming of the trees and heather on the mountain. The singer invites a girl, referred to as "lassie," to accompany him to the mountainside where the wild thyme is growing. The melody is playful and whimsical, evoking a sense of adventure and freedom as the two lovers run away together to the idyllic countryside.
The second verse of the song describes the singer building a bower for his love by a pure crystal fountain, adorned with all the colors of the mountain. The image is one of romantic escapism, where the lovers can escape the constraints and pressures of society and indulge in their pure love for one another. In the third verse, the singer expresses his devotion to his true love, but if she were to leave him, he would find another and share with her the beauty of the mountainside and the wild thyme.
Overall, "Wild Mountain Thyme" is a song of youthful love, adventure, and the natural beauty of Scotland's rugged countryside. The lyrics and melody work together to create a sense of playful whimsy, carrying the listener away to a world of idyllic romance and escape from the pressures of the everyday.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the summer time is coming
As the summer season approaches
And the trees are sweetly blooming
The trees are blossoming with a pleasant fragrance
Where the wild mountain thyme
In a place where wild mountain thyme grows
Grows around the blooming heather
This wild mountain thyme grows and blooms around the heather shrubs
Would you go, lassie, go?
Will you come along with me, young girl?
And we'll all go together
We'll travel as a group
And I will build my love a bower
I'll construct a romantic shelter for my beloved
And yon pure crystal fountain
Next to a clear and pure fountain
And around it I will place
I'll decorate the area surrounding the bower with
All the colors of the mountain
The colors of the mountain range around us
And If my true love's gone
In case my real love is gone
I will surely find another
I'll certainly locate another person to care for
And to her I will sing
I will serenade her with affectionate words
Things that make her know I want her
Expressing my desires and feelings for her
Would you go, lassie, go?
Would you like to join me, young girl?
And we'll all go together
We'll unite and travel as a group
Where the wild mountain thyme
In a place where wild mountain thyme grows
Grows around the blooming heather
This wild mountain thyme grows and blooms around the heather shrubs
Would you go, lassie, go?
Will you come along with me, young girl?
Writer(s): trad arr gaughan
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@martinstepek
All giants in their fields, and their harmonies were angelic. Emmylou Harris's voice is beautiful beyond description. One of my favourite songs - so incredibly wistful.
@Huineng10
Just the best rendering of this lovely song.
@johnc5160
When the harmony vocals in the chorus comes in, goosebumps!
@nvrgvp1
I love your music and you Dick Gaughan.... miss your input into our world....I never tire.
@carolfreeman9773
Dick Gaughan - my very favorite English language singer of the past fifty plus years. And with Ali And Jay - such beautiful violins, too.
@frankfedi5751
never made it through any cover without tears
@gilbertolinger3874
Emmylou made the tears flow on about the 3rd word that she sang......she always does that to me......her, Alison Krauss, and Linda Ronstadt have that SAME effect on me...... it's HEART-MELTING. When Linda performed in that Mariachi that I believe her own dad either wrote the songs, or just had the biggest influence on the Mariachi. I can't remember.....too long ago. The Stage, Musicians, Linda herself, The Dancers......SO STUNNINGLY COLORFUL IN MEXICAN STYLE. COLORS.....ALL THE WAY TO THE RED ROSE IN LINDA'S HAIR!! (THAT RED ROSE REALLY ACCENTED HER "MIDNIGHT BLACK" EYES......YES!!!......"MIDNIGHT BLACK" EYES THAT SHE HAS!!) And just LOOKING at everything itself almost had me crying like a baby!! It's on YouTube. I can't remember the name. I suppose you could just type in Linda Ronstadt....Mariachi. You can watch either clips of different songs, or the entire Mariachi.
@jacobalexandersmith619
To say it pulls at heartstrings would be an understatement. Pure braw.👍
@eckhardt2006kugler
Very nice and emotional very strong.
@Aritro77
Wonderful