Also known as "Purple Heather" and "Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?") is a Scottish/Irish folk song. The lyrics and melody are a variant of the song "The Braes of Balquhither" by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and Scottish composer Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829), but were adapted by Belfast musician Francis McPeake (1885–1971) into "Wild Mountain Thyme" and first recorded by his family in the 1950s. It passed though many hands, as a song usually does. here it passes through my hands.
lyrics
O the summer time has come
And the trees are sweetly bloomin'
The wild mountain thyme
Grows around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, laddie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, lassie, go?
I will build my love a tower
By foot of the fountain
And 'round it I will pull
All the flowers o' the mountain
Will ye go, laddie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, laddie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, laddie, go?
If my true love he will not come
Then I'll surely find another
To pull wild mountain mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, laddie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather
Will ye go, laddie, go?
laddie, go––
credits
from Wild Mt.Thyme b/w Trying To Get To Heaven,
released February 19, 2021
W. McGovern played all instruments (guitar, shaker, paintbrush, saxophone, voice) and arranged them. Tip of the hat to Joan for her inspired version of this standard.