Red_is_the_rose

RED IS THE ROSE

Time signature: 4/4
Typical tempo: 60 bpm

Traditional Irish lyrics, with
Melody based on 'Loch Lomond'
(an 18th century Scottish tune)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Everything needs to be checked.

Accordion Notation

Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol = Dot ( . ) or equivalent

Either row (high) = Buttons 5 to 9*
Inside row (low) = Buttons 2 to 5* plus o3*

Verse 1 (of 3)

:5 | .6 '''6 '7* ;7 "6 | '7* '''7 "7* "6 ;5*
.2 | .3 '''3 '3* ;4 "3 | '3* '''4 "3* "3 ;o3*
Come o - ver the hills, my bon - ny I - rish lass

5 | .6 "6 "6 .6 "7 "8 | :9* :8 |
"2 | .3 "3 "3 .3 "4 "5 | :5* :5 |
Come o - ver the hills to your dar - ling;

.9* '''9* '8 .7 "7 "8 | "8* "7 "7* "6 ;5*
.5* '''5* '5 .4 "4 "5 | "4* "4 "3* "3 .o3*
You choose the rose love, and I'll make the vow

"5 | .6 "7 "8 .9* "8 "7 | :7* | ::6 |
"2 | .3 "4 "5 .5* "5 "4 | :3* | ::3 |
And I'll be your true love for ev - er.

Chorus:

  .6 '''6 '7* ;7 "6 | "7* ''7 "7* "6 :5* |
  .3 '''3 '3* ;4 "3 | "3* ''4 "3* "3 :o3* |
Red is the rose that in your gar - den grows

.6 '''6 '6 '6 '''7 "7 "8 | :9* :8 |
.3 '''3 '3 '3 '''4 "4 "5 | :5* :5 |
Fair is the lil - y of the val - ley;

.9* '''9* '8 .7 "7 "8 | "8* "7 '''7* '6 ;5*
.5* '''5* '5 .4 "4 "5 | "4* "4 '''3* '3 ;o3*
Clear is the wat - er that flows from the Boyne

"5 | .6 "7 "8 .9* '''8 '7 | :7* | ::6 |
"2 | .3 "4 "5 .5* '''5 '4 | :3* | ::3 |
But my love is fair - er than an - y

Observation: Many performances begin with the chorus.

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

Go to Guitar Notation,Lyrics & Background

There are some variations in the lyrics, arrangements and tempo among these videos. Total of 15 videos in various keys: B=2 C=3 Db=1 D=1 D,E,F=1 D,G,D=1 E=4 E,F#=1 G=1

Key: C

Tempo: ~55 bpm

Singer: Tommy Makem with (one or
more of?) the Clancey Brothers.

Posted by: theconman18

Key: E

Tempo: ~60 bpm

Group: The O'Neill Sisters

Posted by: The O'Neill Sisters

Key: D from time 0 to 1:10
E from 1:11 to 2:13
F from 2:14 to End

Tempo: ~70 bpm

Group: The Irish Tenors

Posted by: Dermott Studio

Key: D

Tempo: ~40 bpm

Group: The Ennis Sisters

Posted by: alliexirish

Key: C

Tempo: ~55 bpm

Singer: Liam Clancy

Posted by: mitchmallow

Key: G

Tempo: ~60 bpm

Group: The Chieftans

Singer: Nanci Griffith

Posted by: The Chieftains - Topic

Key: E

Tempo: ~65 bpm

Singer: Jill Anderson

Posted by: DesolationoftheDolls

From Jill's album "Cool of the Day".

Key: E from time 0 to 3:51
F# from 3:52 to End

Tempo: ~60 bpm

Singer: ?

Posted by: 11111222233366698984

Key: D from time 0 to 1:49
G from 1:50 to 3:22
D from 3:23 to End

Tempo: ~60 bpm

Singers: Orla Fallon & Tommy Flemming

Posted by: Matteo

From AlbumL The Platinum Collection

Key: E

Tempo: ~65 bpm

Performers: The High Kings

Posted by: The High Kings

Key: B

Tempo: ~50 bpm

Singer: Ciara Fox

Posted by: Forgotten Ireland

Key: Db

Tempo: ~50 bpm

Singer: Mary Duff

Posted by: Bethany-Jade Foyle

Music begins at time 0:47

Key: C

Tempo: ~70 bpm

Singer: Emi Fujita

Posted by: ek7283

Key: B

Tempo: ~50 bpm

Performer: Philomena Begley

Posted by: Philomena Begley - Topic

Key: E

Tempo: ~50 bpm

Singer: Daniel O'Donnell

Posted by: Bethany-Jade Foyle

Guitar Chord Notation

I found that googling different Internet sites turned up a number of different guitar-chord arrangements for this song, most of them in the keys of C and D, some sounding more melancholic (including more minor chords) than others. Some of these are very specific to particular singers, including a number available on youTube. I like the arrangement below.

Key of Gmajor - for keys Ab, A, Bb, or B, place capo at frets 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Key of Cmajor - for keys Db,D, Eb, E, F, or F#/Gb, place capo at fret 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

G Em C D7
C Am F G7
Come   over   the   hills,   my   bon-ny   I-rish   lass
G Em C G
C Am F C
Come   o-ver   the   hills   to   your   dar-ling;
C G C D7
F C F G7
You   choose   the   rose,    love, and   I'll   make   the   vow
G C G D7 G
C F C G7 C
And   I'll   be   your   true   love   for ev-er.

Chorus:
         G Em C D7
         C Am F G7
Red   is   the   rose   that   by   yon-der   gar-den   grows,
G Em C     G
        C Am F     C
Fair   is   the   lil-y   of   the   val-ley;
         C G C D7
         F C F G7
Clear   is   the   wa-ter   that   flows   from   the   Boyne
    G C G D7 G
C F C G7 C
But   my   love   is   fair-er   than   an-y.

G Em C D7
C Am F G7
'Twas   down   by   Kil-lar-ney's   green   woods   that   we   strayed
G Em C G
C Am F C
The   moon   and   the   stars   they   were   shin-ing;
C G C D7
F C F G7
The   moon    shone its   rays   on   her   locks   of   gold-en   hair
G C G D7 G
C F C G7 C
She   swore   she'd   be   my   love   for ev-er.

G Em C D7
C Am F G7
It's   not   for   the   part-ing   of   my   sister   Kate
G Em C G
C Am F C
It's   not   for   the   grief   of   my   moth-er
C G C D7
F C F G7
'Tis   all   for   the   loss   of   my   bon-ny   I-rish   lass
G C G D7 G
    C F C G7        C
That   my   heart   is   break-ing   for ev-er.

Lyrics and Background Info and Links

Lyrics:

Come over the hills, my bonny Irish lass
Come over the hills to your darling;
You choose the rose, love, and I'll make the vow
And I'll be your true love forever.

Chorus:
Red is the rose that by yonder garden grows,
Fair is the lily of the valley;
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.

'Twas down by Killarney's green woods that we strayed
The moon and the stars they were shining;
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she'd be my love forever.

It's not for the parting of my sister Kate
It's not for the grief of my mother
'Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.

Observation:

Some Internet lyrics-sites and youTube videos show some variations from the lyrics above, as well as a range of interpretations. My favorite, consistent with the above lyrics, is that this is a song by a lad in love with a young lass (first two verses and chorus) and is broken-hearted because she is leaving Ireland with her family, perhaps because of the famine (or some other reason). The third verse suggests that he finds this more difficult to deal with than the death of his sister and the grief of his mother.

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Background
Links:

Click HERE for additional info about this song.

Click HERE for additional information on The Ennis Sisters (wikipedia).