His on-going, sell-out performances, and recordings, with "MAGPIE LANE", will be known and enjoyed by many.
His voice is amongst the finest on the folk scene: warm and mellow, but with great power when required. A veteran of many folk club gigs and pub sessions, Ian is equally at home with a lyrical ballad, or leading a lusty chorus song. On the instrumental front, he contributes hurdy-gurdy and a variety of percussion.
Ian is also a member of the Oxford Waits; and now sings three-part harmony with Ian Woods and Oxford's favourite Yorkshireman Graham Metcalfe.
The Bonny Ship The Diamond
Ian Giles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the Davis Strait she's bound
And the quay it is all garnished
With Bonnie lasses 'round
Captain Thompson gives the order
To sail the ocean wide
Where the sun it never sets, me lads
Nor darkness dims the sky
Let your hearts never fail
For the Bonnie ship the diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Along the quay at Peterhead
The lasses stand around
Their shawls all pulled around them
And the salt tears runnin' down
Now Don't you weep, my Bonnie lass
Though you be left behind
For the rose will bloom on Greenland's ice
Before we change our mind
And its cheer up me lads
Let your heart never fail
For the Bonnie ship the diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Here's a health to the resolution
Likewise the Eliza Swan
Here's a health to the battler of Montrose
And the diamond, ship of fame
We wear the trousers of the white
The jackets of the blue
When we return to Peterhead
We'll have sweethearts anew
And its cheer up me lads
Let your hearts never fail
For the Bonnie ship the diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Oh It'll be bright both day and night
When the whailing lads come home
In a ship that's full up of oil, me boys
And money to our names
We'll make the cradles o'er to rock
And the blankets for to tear
And every lass in Peterhead sing
"Hushabye, my dear"
For its cheer up me lads
Let your hearts never fail
For The Bonnie ship a diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
And its cheer up me lads
Let your heart never fail
For the Bonnie ship a diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
In "The Bonny Ship The Diamond," the singer describes a ship that's headed to the Davis Strait to hunt whales. The quay is filled with women saying goodbye to their loved ones, and the captain gives the order to set sail. As they set off, the singer encourages the crew to stay strong and brave, reminding them that they are hunting for the valuable whale oil. He also tells the women not to cry, as their loved ones will return soon enough.
As the song goes on, the singer cheers for other ships and events such as the resolution and the Eliza Swan. The crew takes pride in their attire, wearing white trousers and blue jackets, and they look forward to returning home to their sweethearts. The song concludes on a hopeful note, with the singer envisioning a bright future where the whaling crew returns home with money and oil to care for their families.
Line by Line Meaning
The diamond is a ship, me lads
The diamond is a ship, my friends
For the Davis Strait she's bound
She's heading towards the Davis Strait
And the quay it is all garnished
The dock is decorated
With Bonnie lasses 'round
Pretty girls all around
Captain Thompson gives the order
Captain Thompson issues commands
To sail the ocean wide
To sail the vast sea
Where the sun it never sets, me lads
Where the sun never sets, my friends
Nor darkness dims the sky
Where there's always light
And it's cheer up me lads
Be happy, my friends
Let your hearts never fail
Don't lose courage
For the Bonnie ship the diamond
Because the good ship The Diamond
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Is going whale hunting
Along the quay at Peterhead
At the harbor in Peterhead
The lasses stand around
Girls are hanging around
Their shawls all pulled around them
Wrapped up in their shawls
And the salt tears runnin' down
Crying tears of sadness
Now Don't you weep, my Bonnie lass
Don't cry, my pretty girl
Though you be left behind
Although I'm leaving you
For the rose will bloom on Greenland's ice
Because the rose will grow in Greenland's harsh environment
Before we change our mind
Before we change our plans
And its cheer up me lads
Be happy, my friends
Let your heart never fail
Don't lose courage
Here's a health to the resolution
Let's toast to the resolution
Likewise the Eliza Swan
And the ship Eliza Swan
Here's a health to the battler of Montrose
Let's also toast to Montrose's fighters
And the diamond, ship of fame
And The Diamond, famous ship
We wear the trousers of the white
We wear white trousers
The jackets of the blue
The blue jackets
When we return to Peterhead
When we get back to Peterhead
We'll have sweethearts anew
We'll have new lovers waiting for us
Oh It'll be bright both day and night
It'll be bright day and night
When the whaling lads come home
When the whale hunters come back
In a ship that's full up of oil, me boys
In a ship filled with oil
And money to our names
And riches in our possession
We'll make the cradles o'er to rock
We'll rock the cradles
And the blankets for to tear
And tear up the blankets
And every lass in Peterhead sing
And all the girls in Peterhead will sing
"Hushabye, my dear"
"Go to sleep, my dear"
For its cheer up me lads
Be happy, my friends
Let your hearts never fail
Don't lose courage
For The Bonnie ship a diamond
Because The Diamond is a beautiful ship
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Is going whale hunting
And its cheer up me lads
Be happy, my friends
Let your heart never fail
Don't lose courage
For the Bonnie ship a diamond
Because The Diamond is a beautiful ship
Goes a-fishing for the whale
Is going whale hunting
Writer(s): Simon Emmerson, Richard Evans, A L Lloyd
Contributed by Hailey S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.