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If I Were A Blackbird

by Sue McBride

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about

"If I Were a Blackbird" is a timeless, classic Nova Scotia folk song about forbidden love between a young maiden and a sailor re-imagined by Sue McBride. This beloved folk song of Nova Scotia was collected by Helen Creighton from the Armstrong twins, Alister and Judson, around 1950 in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. It appears to have originated in Ireland. In this variant of the folk song, Sue pushes the boundaries of traditional folk music in instrumentation with mainly computer generated instruments and effects other than piano and tin whistle to create a melancholy atmosphere.

lyrics

Lyrics:
If I Were a Blackbird - Traditional

Verse 1:
I am a young maiden, a maiden so fair
Fell in love with a sailor, a young sailor boy
And we courted in secret, by night and by day
'Til at length that young sailor, oh he sailed far away.

Chorus:
If I were a blackbird, I'd whistle and sing
I'd follow the ship that my true love sails in
And in the top rigging, there I'd build my nest
And flutter my wings o'er his broad golden chest.

Verse 2:
My true love is handsome, in every degree
And my parents despise him, because he loves me
Well, let them despise him and say what they will
For as long as I'm living, I'll love that boy still. (Chorus)

Verse 3:
And if I were a scholar who could handle a pen
A secret love letter unto him I would send
And I'd tell him my sorrows, my pain, and my woes
Should the day come I find him, I'll crown him with gold. (Chorus)
Verse 1: (repeat and fade)

credits

released June 25, 2021
- Vocals, piano: Sue McBride
- Midi instruments, mixing, Mastering: Aaron Klingbeil (SpacefoodAV)
- Video graphics and editing: Aaron Klingbeil (SpacefoodAV)

Special thanks to Kaye Pottie for promoting Nova Scotia folk music in the Nova Scotia music curriculum. This music video is a result of her leadership in promoting Nova Scotian folk music and the work of Helen Creighton

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Sue McBride Nova Scotia

Sue McBride is a popular Canadian Folk Artist who writes and records original and re-imagined folk music that is family friendly. She is recognized by fans as a great storyteller and soulful singer with the 'voice of an angel'. Her music is recognized for hypnotic and catchy melodies that "you cannot get out of your head", great lyrics and the unique atmosphere's created in each recording. ... more

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