{title: The Mingulay Boat Song}
{artist: Hugh S. Roberton (lyrics, 1938) / traditional Hebridean melody}
{album: Words by Sir Hugh S. Roberton (Songs of the Isles, 1938), set to a traditional rowing tune from the Outer Hebrides}
{key: G}
{tempo: 90}
{difficulty: beginner}
{phase: 1}
{strand: S}
{feel: ballad}
{lead_voice: mid}
{lead_mode: unison}
{lead_demand: moderate}
{harmony: M,H}
{a_cappella: opt}
{kit: gtr,conc,whs}
{set_role: breather}
{lang: en}
{country_tags: SCO}
{copyright: copyrighted-unverified}
{flags: attribution_corrected}
{tags: attribution-corrected,chorus,copyrighted,copyrighted-lyrics,forecastle,harmony,hebridean,scottish,shanty,singalong,slow}

{c: A gentle rowing song from the Hebrides — men returning home to Mingulay from the fishing grounds. The melody is traditional; the English lyrics by Sir Hugh S. Roberton (d.1952) are likely still under copyright in some jurisdictions, so this file is a CHORD SKELETON ONLY. Look up the lyrics in any reputable Scottish folk songbook, or via the Choral Public Domain Library (when available).}
{c: Public-domain melody, copyrighted (or ambiguously PD) English lyrics — treat respectfully.}
{c: Three chords (G, C, D). Slow, ballad pace. Big rolling chorus — "Heel y'ho boys, let her go boys" — perfect for two- or three-part harmony.}

{c: ===== STRUCTURE =====}
{c: Verse (solo or unison) → Chorus (full harmony) → repeat. Three verses total.}
{c: The chorus is the song. Verses describe the men's longing for home; the chorus is the act of rowing back.}

{c: ===== CHORD PROGRESSION =====}

{start_of_chorus}
{c: CHORUS ("Heel y'ho boys, let her go boys / Bring her head 'round into the weather..."):}
[G] / / / | [C] / / / | [G] / / / | [D] / / /
[G] / / / | [C] / / / | [G] / [D] / | [G] / / /
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
{c: VERSE ("What care we though white the Minch is..."):}
[G] / / / | [C] / / / | [G] / / / | [D] / / /
[G] / / / | [C] / / / | [G] / [D] / | [G] / / /
{end_of_verse}

{c: ===== HARMONY NOTES =====}
{c: The chorus is The Mayne Stays' first dedicated three-part harmony work. Suggested voicing on "heel y'ho boys" (chord of G):}
{c:   Lead (melody) — G (root)}
{c:   Mid (third)   — B}
{c:   Top (fifth)   — D}
{c: Hold the harmony through the whole chorus. Verses can stay in unison melody, with the harmony coming in on each chorus.}

{c: ===== REFERENCE RECORDINGS =====}
{c: The Corries — standard Scottish folk version.}
{c: The Longest Johns — modern shanty arrangement on Smoke & Oakum (2018).}
{c: Glasgow Orpheus Choir (Roberton's own choir, original 1938) — for the choral-tradition reference.}
{c: The Fisherman's Friends — English-revival shanty take.}