Archive for June, 2012

OLD TUNES – OVER THE HILLS

Posted on: June 1st, 2012 by hauleymusic No Comments

O v e r t h e H i l l s a n d F a r A w a y

“Over the Hills and Far Away” is a traditional English song, dating back to at least the late 17th century. One version was published in Thomas D’Urfey’s Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy;1 a very different one appeared in George Farquhar’s 1706 play The Recruiting Officer.2 A version also appears in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera of 1728.3

The words have changed over the years, as can be seen in the versions below. The only consistent element in early versions is the title line and the tune. D’Urfey’s and Gay’s versions both refer to lovers, while Farquhar’s version refers to fleeing oveseas to join the army. The tune was provided with another set of lyrics for the Sharpe movies,4 based on Farquhar’s version.

The nursery rhyme “Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son” mentions a piper who knows only one tune, this one:

Jockey was a Piper’s Son,
And fell in love when he was young;
But all the Tunes that he could play,
Was, o’er the Hills, and far away.5

The Royal Military College of Canada Memorial Arch includes the text “Hark now the drums beat up again for all true Soldiers Gentlemen” on the inside top right face.

D’Urfey lyrics:
JOCKEY’S LAMENTATION

1. Jockey met with Jenny fair
Betwixt the dawning and the Day,
And Jockey now is full of Care,
For Jenny stole his Heart away:
Altho’ she promis’d to be true,
Yet she, alas, has prov’d unkind,
That which do make poor Jenny rue,
For Jenny’s fickle as the Wind:

CHORUS: And, ‘Tis o’er the Hills, and far away,
‘Tis o’er the Hills, and far away,
‘Tis o’er the Hills, and far away,
The Wind has blown my Plad away.

2. Jockey was a bonny Lad,
As e’er was born in Scotland fair;
But now poor Jockey is run mad,
For Jenny causes his Despair;
Jockey was a Piper’s Son,
And fell in Love while he was young:
But all the Tunes that he could play,
Was, o’er the Hills, and far away,
CHORUS

3. When first I saw my Jenny’s Face,
She did appear with sike a Grace,
With muckle Joy my Heart was fill’d;
But now alas with Sorrow kill’d.
Oh! was she but as true as fair,
‘Twou’d put an end to my Despair;
But ah, alass! this is unkind,
Which sore does terrify my Mind;

CHORUS: ‘Twas o’er the Hills, and far away,
‘Twas o’er the Hills, and far away,
‘Twas o’er the Hills, and far away,
That Jenny stole my Heart away.

Note: the next song in D’Urfey’s book is:
THE RECRUITING OFFICER: OR, THE MERRY VOLUNTEERS:
Being an Excellent New Copy of Verses upon raising Recruits.
It is a version of the lyrics by George Farquhar for his play The Recruiting Officer from 1706.

Hark! Now the drums beat up again,
For all true soldiers gentlemen,
Then let us ‘list and march I say,
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:

Over the hills and o’er the main.
To Flanders, Portugal, and Spain,
Queen Anne commands and we’ll obey.
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:

All gentlemen that have a mind,
To serve the Queen that’s good and kind,
Come ‘list and enter into pay,
Then o’er the hills and far away.
Chorus

Here’s forty shillings on the drum,
For those that volunteers do come,
With shirts, and cloaths, and present pay,
Then o’er the hills and far away.
Chorus

No more from sound of drum retreat,
While Marlborough and Galway beat,
The French and Spaniards every day,
When over the hills and far away.
Chorus

The Prentice Tom he may refuse,
To wipe his angry master’s shoes,
For then he’s free to sing and play,
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus

We then shall lead more happy lives,
By getting rid of brats and wives,
That scold on both night and day,
When over the hills and far away.
Chorus

All 14 verses of the above song
at: rhauley@nycap.rr.com

In The Beggar’s Opera the song is a duet between the antihero Macheath and his lover Polly. It is a romantic dream of escape, with no military references.

MACHEATH:

Were I laid on Greenland’s coast,
And in my arms embrac’d my lass;
Warm amidst eternal frost,
Too soon the half year’s night would pass.

POLLY:

Were I sold on Indian Soil,
Soon as the burning day was clos’d,
I could mock the sultry toil,
When on my charmer’s breast repos’d.

MACHEATH:

And I would love you all the day,

POLLY:

Every night would kiss and play,

MACHEATH:

If with me you’d fondly stray

POLLY:

Over the hills and far away.

1. D’Urfey, Thomas, Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy, London : Printed by W. Pearson for J. Tonson, 1719. pp. 316

2. Ibid. p. 318

3. Gay, John. The Beggar’s Opera. London: printed for W. Strahan , T. Lowndes, T. Caslon , W.Nicoll, S. Bladon, and G. Kearsly. 1777. p. 38.

4. Cornwell, Bernard. Sharpe’s Enemy. London: Harper Collins, 1984.

5. Opie and P. Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), pp. 408-11.