Whither Must I Wander

Martha Wainwright

About Whither Must I Wander

"Whither Must I Wander" is a song composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams whose lyrics consist of a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. The Stevenson poem, entitled Home no more home to me, whither must I wander?, forms part of the collection of poems and songs called Songs of Travel and Other Verses published in 1895, and is originally intended to be sung to the tune of "Wandering Willie" by Robert Burns. Between 1901 and 1904 Vaughan Williams set nine of Stevenson's poems to music in his song cycle Songs of Travel, in which Whither Must I Wander, arranged in 1902, constitutes song no. 7. In 2005, Martha Wainwright included the song on her debut album Martha Wainwright. 


Year:
2005
4,381 
#5

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Home no more home to me, whither must I wander?
Hunger my driver, I go where I must
Cold blows the winter wind over hill and heather:
Thick drives the rain and my roof is in the dust

Loved of wise men was the shade of my roof-tree
The true word of welcome was spoken in the door -
Dear days of old with the faces in the firelight
Kind folks of old, you come again no more

Home was home then, my dear, full of kindly faces
Home was home then, my dear, happy for the child
Fire and the windows bright glittered on the moorland;
Song, tuneful song, built a palace in the wild

Now when day dawns on the brow of the moorland
Lone stands the house, and the chimney stone is cold
Lone lt it stand, now the friends are all departed
The kind hearts, the true hearts, that loved that place of old

Spring shall come, come again, calling up the moorfowl
Spring shall bring the sun and the rain, bring the bees and flowers;
Red shall the heather bloom over hill and valley
Soft flow the stream through the even-flowing hours

Fair the day shine as it shone on my childhood
Fair shine the day on the house with open door
Birds come and cry there and twitter in the chimney
But I go for ever and come again no more

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Martha Wainwright

Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle. She was raised in a musical family along with her older brother, Rufus Wainwright, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. more »

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Written by: RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


8 facts about this song

Song Classifications
"Whither Must I Wander" is a contemporary folk song recorded by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright.
Album Feature
This song is included on her album "Songs in the Dark," released in 2015. The record is a collaboration with her brother, Rufus Wainwright, and they are collectively known as the Wainwright Sisters on this record.
Theme
"Whither Must I Wander" is a haunting, reflective song featuring melancholy lyrics that explores themes of navigations, wanderings, and personal journeys.
Cover Version
The song is a cover, originally a poem written by Robert Louis Stevenson that was set to music by composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Family Connection
This specific track connects Martha to her mother, Kate McGarrigle, who performed the song in her younger years - indicating the deep significance of family ties in this album.
Musical Construct
"Whither Must I Wander" showcases Martha Wainwright's talent as a dynamic, expressive vocalist, with the simple, stripped-back instrumentals allowing her voice to carry the emotional weight of the song.
Critical Response
The song - and the album as a whole - received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its haunting intimacy, while others found it too somber and melancholic.
Legacy
"Whither Must I Wander" stands as a testament to the timeless appeal of classic folk songs, proving their ability to be reinterpreted and made relevant across generations.

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