Canada-I-O

"Canada-I-O" (also known as "Canadee-I-O" or "The Wearing of the Blue") is a traditional English folk ballad (Roud 309).^[1] It is believed to have been written before 1839.^[2]

When her love goes to sea, a lady dresses as a sailor and joins (his or another's) ship's crew. When she is discovered, (the crew/her lover) determine to drown her. The captain saves her and they marry.

Based on similarity of title, some connect this song with "". There is no connection in plot, however, and any common lyrics are probably the result of cross-fertilization.

The Scottish song "" is quite different in detail — so much so that it is separate from the "Canada-I-O" texts in the Roud Folk Song Index ("Canaday-I-O" is #309;^[3] "Caledonia" is #5543). The plot, however, is too close for scholars to distinguish.

Broadsides[]

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(1982), "Kennady I-o," J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838; also Firth c.12(329), Harding B 11(2039), "Lady's Trip to Kennedy"; Harding B 25(1045), "The Lady's Trip to Kennady"; Firth c.12(330), "Canada Heigho";^[4] Firth c.13(240), Firth c.12(331), Harding B 11(2920), 2806 c.16(72), "Canada I, O"

Recordings[]

• Nic Jones, "Canadee-I-O" (on Penguin Eggs, 1980)
• Bob Dylan, "Canadee-i-o" (on Good as I Been to You, 1992)
• Seven Nations, "Canadee-i-o" (on Old Ground, 1995)
• The White Stripes, "Canadee I-O" (on Under Great White Northern Lights, B-Shows, 2010)
• 10,000 Maniacs (on Twice Told Tales, 2015)
• The Outside Track, "Canadee-I-O" (on Light Up The Dark, 2015)

Alternative titles[]

^{[citation needed]}

• "Canada Heigho!!"
• "Kennady I-o"
• "Lady's Trip to Kennady"

Notes[]

References[]

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