Five Sons of Yarrow
by DJ-M2
About this track
Story Behind the song:- This is based on an old Scottish song it has many versions. All are clear there is some kind of conflict. The number of men and brothers vary version by version. The story is generally based from the perspective of a grieving you woman who lost her love, could be her husband and in some versions a brother, who she loved. in some versions she dies and in others she lives in grief. There is no known originator of the lyrics as this was a song passed down without being written. The song could be about the border town in Scotland Called Yarrow. Yarrow is a Celtic word meaning rough. This is a place of hills and dales with a river running through. In the lower areas of this land you would see a blanket of a white wild flower, called Yarrow. The song speak about being in the Yarrow, which could be in the river or amongst the plant. It also speaks of the young men of Yarrow, likely a place. In the various versions the song it refers to "in the dewy dells of Yarrow" older versions sing " in the diewy dens O' Yarrow" and in my version "in the dewy dales of Yarrow" In my version I set the scene is set around the time of the battle of 1812. In a similar place in British Columbia called Yarrow. Yarrow BC, also has a river running through and is sited in the valley or dales. The five sons are in battle and die in battle fighting to protect their loved ones. The lady of the song is deeply grieving by the loss of her husband. In my head while writing and producing this song, I thought this would be a great song for that great Canadian story teller Gordon Lightfoot.