He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).
Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".
Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.
The Sky Boat Song
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward, the sailors cry
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Baffled our foe's stand on the shore
Follow they will not dare
Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head
Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore could wield
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden's field
Burned are our homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men
Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath,
Charlie will come again.
The Skye Boat Song is a poignant ballad that tells the story of a group of Scottish Jacobites who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the British government’s troops to safety. “Speed Bonnie Boat, like a bird on the wing, onward the sailors cry” is an opening verse that describes the urgency of their situation. The Jacobite rebels are escaping in a boat, which is their only hope of reaching the Isle of Skye where they can find safety.
As they sail through wild winds, storms, and turbulent waves, they need to avoid their enemies who are closing in on them. “Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar, thunder clouds rend the air; baffled our foes stand on the shore, follow they will not dare” depicts their struggle against the adversaries. The lyrics highlight the bravery of these Scottish fighters, who were willing to risk everything to ensure that their prince escapes.
The final verse is a lament for those who died in the struggle, whose homes and families were destroyed. “Burned are our homes, exile and death scatter the loyal men” shows the immense sacrifice that the Jacobites had to make. However, the lyrics offer hope of a brighter future. The stanza ends with “yet, e’er the sword cool in the sheath, Charlie will come again,” hinting at the belief that this struggle was just the first in a series of battles promoting Scotland’s independence.
Line by Line Meaning
Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
The boat travels quickly, gliding like a bird in the sky.
Onward, the sailors cry
The sailors shout to go forward with the journey.
Carry the lad that's born to be king
The boat carries the important person who is destined to rule.
Over the sea to Skye
The boat is heading towards Skye island over the sea.
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
The strong winds produce a loud howling sound that matches the roaring waves.
Thunder clouds rend the air;
The thunder clouds split the air with their deafening sounds.
Baffled our foe's stand on the shore
The enemy is confused and frightened as they watch from the shore.
Follow they will not dare
The enemy is too afraid to follow the boat.
Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
Despite the rough sea, you will sleep peacefully.
Ocean's a royal bed
The ocean provides a comfortable place to rest.
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
The boat will rock in the deep water and Flora will watch over the passenger's tired head.
Watch by your weary head
Flora will keep a watchful eye over the passenger's exhausted head.
Many's the lad fought on that day
Many young men fought in the battle.
Well the claymore could wield
They were skilled at wielding the Scottish sword, the claymore.
When the night came, silently lay
At night, the bodies of the fallen lay silently.
Dead on Culloden's field
The battlefield at Culloden was the site of many deaths.
Burned are our homes, exile and death
Our homes have been burned down, leaving us with the fate of being exiled or dying.
Scatter the loyal men
The men loyal to the cause have been scattered.
Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath,
But, before the sword can be put away,
Charlie will come again.
Charlie, the prince, will return once again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN KEYES, ROGER HENRY BROUGH WHITTAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dawn Els
Roger Whittaker - a great gift to the world of music
Colin David
this song reminds me of my cat "Sweep" growing up". She would only react to this song when you whistled it, by hugging you and rolling around. She died in 2005, aged 21! Real nice song.
c ward
Colin David my cat loves when I whistle the I Dream of Jeanie theme! Follows me around
Lin Mal
What a beautiful story. I had a lovely cat who didn't last that long he was only 12 or so, Very sad, still miss him.
Lindsay Browne
Still the best version out there
Ruth Cooper
Roger Whitaker can whistle like a bird. We saw his show at Philadelphia Academy of music many years ago.
David Lench
Just still as beautiful as if it was made just yesterday
ken barwell
Man that man sure can whistle
MON
I try whistling this when ever I'm on the beach lol
Jeff Wateridge
A LOVELY & HAUNTING PIECE OF MUSIC