Formed i… Read Full Bio ↴Malinky is a Scottish folk band specialising in Scots song.
Formed in autumn 1998, the original members were Karine Polwart from Banknock, Stirlingshire (vocals, guitar, bouzouki), Steve Byrne from Arbroath (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Mark Dunlop from Garryduff, Co. Antrim (bodhrán, whistles, vocals) and English fiddler Kit Patterson.
First meeting to rehearse in early October that year, the band was largely formed to help Polwart fulfil a support slot at Edinburgh Folk Club some ten days later, supporting harpist and storyteller Robin Williamson, formerly of the Incredible String Band. The members had previously encountered each other around the lively pub session scene in Edinburgh in venues such as Sandy Bell's and the Royal Oak bars. Polwart was a social worker, Byrne a student of Scottish Studies, Dunlop a town planner with the city council, and Patterson a computer programmer from Plymouth.
The band's first album 'Last Leaves' was recorded in 1999 and released at Celtic Connections 2000, with the late Davy Steele as producer. In early 2001, Edinburgh-born Jon Bews, formerly of Burach, replaced Patterson on fiddle, and later that year Tyrone button box and whistle player Leo McCann was asked to join to expand the band's largely string-driven sound.
In September 2004 the band announced a major change of personnel. Polwart left to pursue a solo career and McCann's imminent fatherhood prompted him to return to his previous career in social work. Polwart and McCann worked their notice until February 2005, coincidentally the same month as Polwart swept the boards at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, catapulting her re-released 2003 solo album 'Faultlines' to greater heights.
Byrne, Dunlop and Bews continued the band with new members Fiona Hunter from Glasgow (vocals, cello) and Liverpool-born Ewan MacPherson (guitar, mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo, jew's harp, vocals), and a series of crossover concerts in January and February 2005 took place, featuring both old and new lineups, including a sellout show at Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
In June 2005 the band recorded their third album 'The Unseen Hours' at Watercolour Studios in Ardgour, Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, and the album was released in November 2005, surprising many critics with its continuity from the band's previous work, and earning rave reviews with its strong commitment to traditional Scots ballads.
The Unseen Hours lineup toured Germany and the Netherlands in 2006 to great acclaim and in 2007 performed with Swedish ballad band Ranarim at the Celtic Connections festival as well as making their first sojourn to the USA and Canada.
In December 2007 MacPherson left the band to pursue other projects to be replaced by guitar and bouzouki player David Wood from Grindleford in Derbyshire, formerly of CrossCurrent.
Fiddler Mike Vass joined the band in 2008, previously best known for performing in a duo with his sister Ali Vass.
The Rovin Ploughboy
Malinky Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come saddle tae me, my pony O
I'm on the road and I'm goin' far awa'
Awa' wi' the rovin' plowboy-O
Chorus (after each verse):
Plowboy-O, plowboy-O
I'll follow the rovin' plowboy-O
Last night I lay in a fine feather bed
Sheets and blankets sae cozy O
The night I maun lie in a cauld barn shed
Rowed in the arms o' my plowboy-O
Champion plowboy, my Geordie lad
Cups and medals and prizes O
In bonnie Deveronside there's nane can compare
Wi' my jolly rovin' plowboy-O
Fare ye weel tae auld Huntly toon
And fareweel tae Drumdelgie O
I'm on the road and I'm goin' far awa'
Awa' wi' the rovin' plowboy-O
(Chorus...)
1
The Rovin Ploughboy is a traditional Scottish folk song about a man who is leaving behind his comfortable life to go on the road with the roving plowboy. The chorus repeats after each verse and invites the listener to follow along with the plowboy's journey.
The first verse speaks of the singer's departure, as he calls for his trusty horse to be saddled so that he can ride away with the plowboy. The second verse describes the contrast between his previous luxurious life and his new rough existence. The final verse bids farewell to his hometown and the people he knows.
The lyrics convey a sense of adventure and freedom that comes with leaving behind material possessions and societal expectations to follow one's own path. The roving plowboy represents a romanticized figure of the countryside who is free to travel and work wherever he pleases. The song captures a sense of wanderlust and a longing for a simpler way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Come saddle tae me, my auld gray mare
Please bring me my old gray mare so that I may commence my journey
Come saddle tae me, my pony O
Please saddle my pony so that I may travel on it
I'm on the road and I'm goin' far awa'
I am embarking on a journey and I will be traveling a great distance
Awa' wi' the rovin' plowboy-O
I will be accompanied by the roving plowboy
Plowboy-O, plowboy-O
Oh roving plowboy, oh roving plowboy
I'll follow the rovin' plowboy-O
I will follow the roving plowboy on my journey
Last night I lay in a fine feather bed
Last night, I slept in a comfortable bed filled with soft feathers
Sheets and blankets sae cozy O
The sheets and blankets were incredibly warm and comforting
The night I maun lie in a cauld barn shed
Tonight, I must sleep in a cold barn shed
Rowed in the arms o' my plowboy-O
I will be held close in the arms of the roving plowboy
Champion plowboy, my Geordie lad
My lover is the best plowboy in the area, his name is Geordie
Cups and medals and prizes O
My lover has won many awards and trophies for his plowing abilities
In bonnie Deveronside there's nane can compare
In the beautiful Deveronside, there is nobody who can surpass my lover in plowing skills
Wi' my jolly rovin' plowboy-O
Together with my joyful roving plowboy
Fare ye weel tae auld Huntly toon
Goodbye to old Huntly town
And fareweel tae Drumdelgie O
And goodbye to Drumdelgie
I'm on the road and I'm goin' far awa'
I am leaving and traveling a great distance
Awa' wi' the rovin' plowboy-O
I will be accompanied by the roving plowboy on my journey
(Chorus...)
Repeated chorus of the song
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.