English (308KB)

Three Gypsies

"Three Gypsies" is yet another of Brian Kelly's songs not to be found anywhere. From some of the dialect lines it appears to be either Northumbrian or Low Scottish or it may Brian's own mixture.
It is a real ballad about an aristocratic lady running off with the gypsies having been beguiled by their beautiful song. Her husband, Lord Castles, searched high and low for her and eventually found her and swore to bring her home. Her reply is as follows, dear surfer:
    "Na ah will ne gan wi' ye my honey and my love
    And ah will ne gan wi' ye my deary-oh.
    Til I drink the yeast that I have brewed,
    That is the waters of easy-oh."
Now what do you think of that?!? For all you lady surfers, isn't that just the perfect reply to infidelity!
A somewhat similar plain English version is given in The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies.
"Three Gypsies" has been recorded by:
 Brian Kelly on "Brian Kelly In Memoriam" 
 Various Artists on "Best of Scottish Folk"