ROLLING HOME

Jim Reid vocals, guitar & mouthorgan; Jim Brown, Harry Scott and Jim Thomson accordions; Geordie Anderson fiddle and vocals; Christine Stewart guitar and vocals and Sandy Beattie double bass  .

A Scottish version of a shanty song that is widely known across the seven seas. In America the sailors are sometimes rolling home to California or to Boston, and in Europe the song is sometimes related to Hamburg.

1: Call all hands to man the capstan,
See the cable running clear,
Heave around and with the wheel boys,
For our homeland we will steer.

Chorus:
Rolling home, rolling home,
Rolling home across the sea,
Rolling home to Caledonia,
Rolling home dear land to thee.

2: Fare ye well ye Spanish ladies,
We must bid you all adieu,
Happy times we've had together,
Happy times we spent with you.

3: Round the horn one frosty morning,
And our sails are filled with snow,
You could hear the shellbacks calling,
Heave around and let her go.

4: Now the wake we leave behind us,
Seems to know the way we go,
There's a hearty welcome waiting,
In the land that we all know.

Chorus:
Rolling home, rolling home,
Rolling home across the sea,
Rolling home to Caledonia,
Rolling home dear land to thee.

Words adapted and music arranged by Jim Reid
Springthyme Music © 1988.

This is the title track on their album The Foundry Bar Band: <a href="http://www.springthyme.co.uk/1026/" rel="nofollow" target="_parent">Rolling Home</a>.

Rolling Home

Springthyme is a record label dedicated to presenting Scotland's living tradition in song and music. Founded in 1974 by musician and singer Pete Shepheard, the label has introduced many fine singers, musicians to the world of recorded music. The very first album was recorded during the weekend traditional music festival held in Kinross in 1973 with musicians including Aly Bain and Tom Anderson and the Shetland Fiddlers and the first recording of ballad singer Stanley Robertson of Aberdeen. Other artistes on Springthyme include Jim Reid, The Foundry Bar Band, Ossian, Jock Duncan, Bill Black, Duncan Williamson, Lizzie Higgins, Jim Crawford, Tom Hughes, John Watt & Davey Stewart, Iain McLachlan and many more including a CD from Pete's own band Shepheard, Spiers & Watson. Springthyme has also issued recordings from their field recordings archive in cooperation with the Musical Traditions label.