The Gowans Are Gay

This song was first published in 'Cantus, Songs and Fancies', by John Forbes in Aberdeen, 1682, although it is generally believed to be much older than this, and the refrain "gowans are gay" appears in other songs.
It is an example of a folk song in which a man takes no for an answer.
Gowan is a Scots word for a daisy. 'My Jo' means 'my love'.
The tradition of washing one's face in the dew on the first day of May is an ancient one in both Scotland and Ireland. It is variously said to bring luck or beauty or prosperity. In Edinburgh there are reports of many hundreds of people climbing Arthur's Seat to do so, right up until the middle 20th Century.

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Singer Yakub Duncan
Video : Ludwing Perez
Editing : Nicky Saunders
Sound effects : Freesound squashy555 Dawn Chorus Birdsong
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