It all started two years ago at P.J. O’Brien’s, a classic Irish pub in the heart of Sydney, Australia. Every Sunday they have live Irish music, usually featuring Steve’s Duo, a talented pair of musicians offering up some classic and traditional Irish songs.

I have to admit that at first I did not know many of the songs, but I would furiously look up the songs on my phone as they were playing based on what I thought the lyrics were that I was hearing. They played music from The Irish Rovers, the Pogues, the Cranberries, the Dubliners, the High Kings, the Saw Doctors, and of course, Bing Crosby. (If you don’t recognize any of those names, then you shouldn’t get to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year.)

After several Sunday visits (and a pint of Kilkenny or two), I got familiar with many of the songs, and I even ended up creating a Spotify playlist based on the songs from Steve’s Duo’s set list.

One song in particular that grabbed my attention was Wild Mountain Thyme. This was one of the songs that I had not been familiar with, but I grew to enjoy hearing. When I returned to the U.S., I decided to learn more about the song, and the first fact I discovered was that there is a movie titled Wild Mountain Thyme, starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm, Dearbhla Molloy, and Christopher Walken. The song features prominently in the movie, so here is the first version of the song I will share:

To me, it is a beautiful song, and my wife and I also enjoyed watching the movie. However, as far as the movie was concerned, the critics did not seem to agree with me.

From Wikipedia: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 25% of 130 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Fatally undermined by dodgy accents and a questionable story, Wild Mountain Thyme is a baffling misfire for a talented filmmaker and impressive cast. Kevin Maher, chief film critic of The Times, was even more critical, describing the film’s representation of Ireland as anti-Irish, calling it “representational fascism”

Oh well, I guess you can’t please everyone. But like I said, my wife and I enjoyed it; the scenery is beautiful (filmed mainly in County Mayo, Ireland, where my dad’s family was from), and it has this amazing song.

This was one of the songs I added to my “Irish songs” Spotify playlist, and as I was doing so, it was then that I discovered the rich history of the song and the many (and I mean many) covers of the song.

From Wikipedia, once again: “Wild Mountain Thyme” (also known as “Purple Heather” and “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?”) is a Scottish/Irish folk song. The lyrics and melody are a variant of the song “The Braes of Balquhither” by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774–1810) and Scottish composer Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829), but were adapted by Belfast musician Francis McPeake (1885–1971) into “Wild Mountain Thyme” and first recorded by his family in the 1950s.

As to the many covers of the song, how’s this for a list. If my counting is correct, that’s over 100 covers of the song. The list is in chronological order, based on when the artist recorded the song, starting with Alma in 1914. Since I know no one is going to go through the whole list, I’ve bolded some of the names that were at least recognizable to me.

Alma Gluck, Francis McPeake, David Hammond, Sandy Paton, The McPeake Family, Bonnie Dobson, Judy Collins, Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor, The Clancy Brothers, The Couriers, Paul Clayton, Joan Baez, The New Christy Minstrels, Lee Mallory, The Byrds, Marianne Faithfull, The Corries, Bob Dylan, Nana Mouskouri, Long John Baldry, The Alexander Brothers, Van Morrison, Strawbs, Brenda Wootton, Buddy Emmons, Thin Lizzy, George Hamilton IV, Bert Jansch, Rick Stanley, Bernadette, Penelope Houston, The Tannahill Weavers, Nigel and the Crosses, Nancy Cassidy, Michal Hromek, Denis Ryan, Meg Davis, Tommy Makem, Barley Bree, and Cherish the Ladies, Glenn Frey, The Silencers, Jim Diamond, Viva Brother, Dick Gaughan, Emmylou Harris, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and Rufus Wainwright, Rod Stewart, The Irish Rovers, John McDermott, Lisa Lynne, Real McKenzies, The Masterless Men, Mark Knopfler, Enter the Haggis, Dan Zanes, Friends, and Dar Williams, Papa M, The Chieftains with Don Williams, Emerald Rose, Jim McCann, James Taylor, Brian Kennedy, Albert Kuvezin and Yat-Kha, Amanda, Keltik Elektrik with Jim Malcolm, Devin Townsend, Kate Rusby, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Moira Nelson, Maggie Reilly, The High Kings, Lauren Yason, Richard Fox, and Caroline Dale, Blake, Fotheringay, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, Lark & Spur, Ronan Keating,  Robin Pecknold, Stuart Murdoch, The Real McKenzies, Marc Gunn, Ben Folds, Mudmen, The Rumjacks, The Dolmen, Marti Pellow, Ed Sheeran, Derek Ryan, 10,000 Maniacs, The Bombadils, Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band, The Longest Johns, Mungo’s Hi Fi, Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, Gerry Rafferty, Peter Bruntnell, Celtic Woman, The Petersens, Rufus Wainwright, Ella Roberts, Faoilean, Grahame Skinner and Bobby from The Bluebells, Mànran, Laufey, dodie, and Jacob Collier, Raffi, Loreena McKennitt, Lola Kirke, Peter Dreimanis, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden, and Jack O’Connell, Goose.

And I found a version not listed above while scrolling through Spotify that I think will make Clive happy: The Hound + The Fox:

I’ll include one more version, perhaps one of the more unique takes on the song, but still beautiful. This was performed at the Kennedy Center with backing from the National Symphony Orchestra, and includes some wonderful crowd work and a standing ovation at the end. Warning: this is a 10-minute video…

So consider this my love letter to this beautiful song. Hopefully, I’ll get to hear it at least one more time, back where it all started, at P.J. O’Brien’s in Sydney.

*image from the Sublime

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