After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
Blooming Heather
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
Will ye go, Lassie go?
I will build my love a tower
Near yon' pure crystal fountain
And on it I will build
All the flowers of the mountain
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
If my true love she were gone
I would surely find another
To pluck wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Let us go, lassie, go
"Blooming Heather" is a popular Scottish folk song that tells the story of two lovers who are enjoying the summertime, surrounded by the blooming heather and wild mountain thyme, as they contemplate building a tower near a pure crystal fountain where they can love each other forever. The chorus of the song repeats a question asked by the singer to their lover, "Will ye go Lassie go?".
The song generally represents a romantic and poetic love towards nature, especially the blooming heather, which is seen as a symbol of Scotland's countryside. The song's lyrical content resonates with the folk tradition of Scottish music, highlighting the importance of romance, nature, and love.
The singer invites their lover to join them on their journey to pluck wild mountain thyme all around the blooming heather. The song's captivating lyrics take the listeners on a mystical journey through the Scottish hills, and the sweet melody and harmonies create a dreamy atmosphere that makes the song feel magical.
In conclusion, Blooming Heather is a love story tribute to Scotland's countryside, and the singer invites their lover to come along on the journey to pluck wild mountain thyme all around the blooming heather. It is a beautiful and timeless ode to Scotland's beauty and romanticized Scottish love life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the summertime is coming
The arrival of summer is imminent
And the trees are sweetly blooming
The trees are in full bloom and exude a sweet aroma
And the wild mountain thyme
The wild thyme that grows in the mountains
Grows around the blooming heather
The thyme is growing near the flowering heather plants
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Will you come with me, Lassie?
And we'll all go together
We will all go in a group
To pluck wild mountain thyme
We will gather the wild thyme from the mountainside
All around the blooming heather
While the heather is in full bloom around us
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Will you join us, Lassie?
I will build my love a tower
I will construct a tower for my beloved
Near yon' pure crystal fountain
Next to that clear, pristine fountain over there
And on it I will build
I will adorn it
All the flowers of the mountain
With all the mountain flowers
If my true love she were gone
If my true love were to leave or depart
I would surely find another
I would undoubtedly find a new love
To pluck wild mountain thyme
To gather wild thyme from the mountainside
Grows around the blooming heather
Where the heather is blooming and thriving
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Will you come with me, Lassie?
And we'll all go together
We will all go in a group
To pluck wild mountain thyme
We will gather the wild thyme from the mountainside
All around the blooming heather
While the heather is in full bloom around us
Will ye go, Lassie go?
Will you join us, Lassie?
Let us go, lassie, go
Let us depart, lassie
Lyrics ยฉ Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MCPEAKE FAMILY, FRANCIS MCPEAKE, MCPEAKE FAMILY TRIO THE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jamesie jowett
Played at my mums funeral, she was this amazing kind, little Scottish woman. Everytime I listen it brings me to tears,but I keep coming back for more. What a beautiful rendition. Sleep tight mum god bless. Love Jamie xx
Steven Vickery
I get the strangest feeling from this song. It calms me like nothing else. It makes my soul feel "safe"- like I could just stop living and my life could end, but it would all just be okay. Its so peaceful..
May Queen
I don't know if either of you will ever see my response, but this song brings back memories of my dearest friend, and although gone far too young from this earth, his hand on my life is forever. This song is as you said, like time stopping.
Holly Morrison
I get this feeling from Scotland. I totally hear you. Btw Iโm an American transplant here in Scotland.
Gordon Harrison
My grandmother sang this song to all of us. Its beauty and power stir me to tears now that all the others are gone, and I must carry on by myself.
Roland Sievers
It's a song about sex. The unmarried youngsters meet away from their homes (and away from their parents) on the heath to have sex with each other. If someone got pregnant, they got married... That's how it used to be. But things were probably different when your grandmother was young...
Charlie Hendren
Hi there, this may seem slightly random but my name is Charlie, my grandmother recently died and we often went to North Wales with her and the mountains there are littered with beautiful heather. Our family love Kate and I love this song, I also have Scottish roots so the Burns poem resonates too, anyways I was really touched to read your comment and i was sat there with tears coming to my eyes. It gave a sense of peace to read that your grandmother sang this to you. I am a musician and have covered many of Kateโs songs (you can find them on YouTube under hendren7913) but I guess I just wanted to pass on that moment as I think it encapsulates a lot. Hope you are well and life is treating you with love and kindness! X
Abelhawk
What a beautiful song to sing to children!
Michael Tingle
THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VERSION OF THE BLOOMING HEATHER THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD --- YES INDEED -- IT BRINGS TEARS TO THIS OLD IRISHMAN'S EYES EVERY TIME I HEAR IT !!!!! GOD BLESS IRELAND AND GOD BLESS KATE RUSBY !!!!!!!
concars1234
you're not the only one who got tears in their eyes, really beautiful