The Clancy Brothers - The Leaving of Liverpool

Dylan's Farewell (1963)

Oh it’s fare thee well my darlin’ true
I’m leavin’ in the first hour of the morn
I’m bound off for the bay of Mexico
Or maybe the coast of Californ
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

Oh the weather is against me and the wind blows hard
And the rain she’s a-turnin’ into hail
I still might strike it lucky on a highway goin’ west
Though I’m travelin’ on a path beaten trail
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I will write you a letter from time to time
As I’m ramblin’ you can travel with me too
With my head, my heart and my hands, my love
I will send what I learn back home to you
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I will tell you of the laughter and of troubles
Be them somebody else’s or my own
With my hands in my pockets and my coat collar high
I will travel unnoticed and unknown
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

I’ve heard tell of a town where I might as well be bound
It’s down around the old Mexican plains
They say that the people are all friendly there
And all they ask of you is your name
So it’s fare thee well my own true love
We’ll meet another day, another time
It ain’t the leavin’
That’s a-grievin’ me
But my true love who’s bound to stay behind

Dylan schreef de song in January 1963.

Deze song was ook een outtake voor “The Times they are a Changin’”. Dylan nam de song op in Maart 1963 als een demo voor “Witmark & Sons”.

In april 1964 verscheen de song in “Broadside Magazine”, weer gebaseerd op een traditional : “The leaving of Liverpool”

Dylan’s song is zo gelijklopend dat we hier eerder moeten spreken van een bijna-kopie.

Farewell to you, my own true love;
I am going far away.
I am bound for Californ-i-a,
And I know that I’ll return someday.
So fare thee well, my own true love,
And when I return, united we will be.
It’s not the leavin’ of Liverpool that grieves me,
But, my darling, when I think of thee

En

Oh it’s fare-thee-well, my darlin’ true,
I’m a-leavin’ in the first hour of the morn.
I’m bound off for the Bay of Mexico,
Or maybe the coast of Cal-i-forn.
So it’s fare-thee-well, my own true love,
We’ll meet an-other day, an-other time;
It’s not the leavin’ that’s a-grievin’ me,
But my darlin’ who’s bound to stay behind

Hier zijn : 

“The leaving of Liverpool” door The Clancy Brothers

“Farewell” door Bob Dylan (Witmark Demo)