Saturday 17 October 2015
Tune of the Day: Dumbarton's Drums
Traditional Scottish air
The lyrics of this song appear in print as early as 1724, and a tune was published in 1733. But it was not this tune! The present slow air, which probably also dates back a couple centuries, was made popular by the New York folk group The Beers Family in the 1960s.
Dumbarton's drums they sound sae bonnie
And they remind me o' my Johnnie,
Such fond delight doth steal upon me
When Johnnie kneels and kisses me.
There is also a male version of the lyrics, with “Johnnie” changed to “Jeannie”, which has notably been recorded by The Corries.