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The Whistling Gypsy (Leo McQuire)
See also: Gypsy Laddie-O (Collected by Peacock)
And also: Raggle-Taggle Gypsy (Irish Descendants)
And also: Roving Gypsy (Collected by Leach)

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The gypsy rover came over the hill,
Down through the valley so shady;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

Ah-di-do, ah-di-do ah-dey,
Ah-di-do, ah-di dey-o;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

She left her father's castle gate,
She left her own true lover;
She left her servants and her estate,
To follow the gypsy rover.

Ah-di-do, ah-di-do ah-dey,
Ah-di-do, ah-di dey-o;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

Her father saddled his fastest steed,
Roamed the valley all over;
Sought his daughter at great speed,
And the whistling gypsy rover.

Ah-di-do, ah-di-do ah-dey,
Ah-di-do, ah-di dey-o;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

He came at last to a mansion fine,
Down by the river Calyde;
And there was music and there was wine,
For the gypsy and his lady.

Ah-di-do, ah-di-do ah-dey,
Ah-di-do, ah-di dey-o;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

"He's no gypsy, my father," she said,
"But lord of the freelands all over;
And I will stay till my dying day,
With my whistling gypsy rover.

Ah-di-do, ah-di-do ah-dey,
Ah-di-do, ah-di dey-o;
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang,
And he won the heart of a lady.

####.... Variant of an 18th century British ballad (Child ballad #200) The English And Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898) edited by Francis James Child (Dover, 1965). Also a variant of a British broadside ballad, Gypsy Laddie, published by W. Stephenson (Gateshead) sometime between 1821 and 1838, and archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Harding B 11(1446) ....####

This variant was recorded by Leo McGuire of Dublin, Ireland, ca.1950.

A variant was also recorded by the Irish Descendants as Raggle-Taggle Gypsy.

A variant was collected in 1951 from Mrs. T. Ghaney of Fermeuse, NL, and published as Roving Gypsy in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).

A variant was also collected in 1958 from Freeman Bennett of St.Paul's, NL, by Ken Peacock and published as Gypsy Laddie-O in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, p.194, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.

The [G] Gypsy [D] Rover came [G] over the [D] hill,
[G] Down through the [D] valley so [G] shady [D];
He [G] whistled and he [D] sang till the [G] green woods [C] rang,
And [G] he won the [D] heart of a [G] l-[C] ady. [G] [D7]

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