Musical Map of Newfoundland and Labrador

SHE'S LIKE THE SWALLOW

“She's Like the Swallow”
Anita Best & Pamela Morgan
From the album The Colour of Amber, 1991
Open in YouTube Music
Performed by Pamela Morgan (more info), Anita Best (more info)
Purchase the album at Fred's Records

Person list

Words and tune:

  • Traditional

Locations associated with this song:

Background Info:

She's Like the Swallow was first collected in 1930 from John Hunt of Placentia by English folksong scholar Maud Karpeles, who published it in 1934 along with a piano setting by her brother-in-law, the famous composer Ralph Vaughn Williams. It has since found favour with Canadian classical musicians, who have composed over 30 different orchestral and choral settings for it. Although it is generally considered to be of English origin, the song has only been found in Newfoundland. This version comes from the 1965 collection of Kenneth Peacock, who collected it from Charlotte Decker of Parson's Pond.
Dr. Neil V. Rosenberg, Catch Ahold this One...Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador –Volume 1
© Vinland Music. Reproduced with permission

Lyrics:

SHE’S LIKE THE SWALLOW – Traditional

She’s like the swallow that flies so high;
She’s like the river that never runs dry;
She’s like the sunshine on the lee shore;
She loves her love, but she’ll love no more.

‘Twas down in the meadow this fair maid bent
A-picking the primrose just as she went.
The more she plucked and the more she pulled
Until she gathered her apron full.

She climbed on yonder hill above
To give a rose unto her love.
She gave him one, she gave him three,
She gave her heart in company.

And as they sat on yonder hill
His heart grew hard, so harder still: He has two hearts instead of one.
She says, “Young man, what have you done?"

“How foolish, foolish you must be
To think I love no one but thee.
The world’s not made for one alone,
I take delight in everyone.”

She took her roses and made a bed,
A stony pillow for her head;
She lay her down, no more did say,
Just let her roses fade away.

She’s like the swallow that flies so high;
She’s like the river that never runs dry;
She’s like the sunshine on the lee shore;
She lost her love and she’ll love no more.

from Catch Ahold this One...Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador –Volume 1

See lyrics on a page by themselves