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There are a number of similar traditional songs about a well-off woman's encounter with [[Romani people|Gypsies]] dating back at least as far as the early 19th century known as "[[The Raggle Taggle Gypsy]]", "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies", "The Gypsy Laddie", "Nine Yellow Gypsies", "Gypsie Davie" and "Black Jack Davie" ([[Roud Folk Song Index|Roud]] #1,<ref>[http://library.efdss.org/cgi-bin/query.cgi?cross=off&index_roud=on&query=1&field=20 1 Roud Folk Song Index]</ref> [[Child ballad|Child 200]]). The story-line usually revolves around a woman leaving her home and her "wedded lord" to run off with one or more Gypsies, to be pursued by her husband. [[Dorothy Scarborough]]'s 1937 book ''A Song Catcher In Southern Mountains: American Folk Songs of British Ancestry'' includes a lullaby called "Gypsy Davy", which Scarborough collected from two Virginia women who had learned the song from their respective grandmothers who in turn had learned it in Ireland. Scarborough's "Gypsy Davy" has a similar construction to Maguire's song, both in some of the lyrics in the verses and in the "ah dee do" chorus that does not appear in the other aforementioned Gypsy-themed songs.<ref>Dorothy Scarborough, ''A Song Catcher In The Southern Mountains; American Folk Songs of British Ancestry'', Columbia University Press, 1937; pp.224-225</ref> However, in Maguire's song the lady is pursued by her father, and when he catches the pair the "Gypsy" reveals himself to be the "lord of these lands all over".
The song was first recorded by [[Joe Lynch (actor)|Joe Lynch]] in Dublin on the Glenside label, which had been set up by [[Martin Walton]] in 1952. It was popularised throughout the country by airplay on the Walton's Programme on [[RTÉ Radio 1|Radio Éireann]], also established by Walton in that year. Another early recording was by [[Rose Brennan]], for [[His Master's Voice|HMV]] in London, in October 1953.<ref>B 10572 released by Rose Brennan in October 1953: "If you love me" / "The Whistling Gypsy"</ref> In 1954 Rose Brennan's cover was awarded third place by the [[New Musical Express]] for the best recording of the year.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Times Pictorial | first= | title=Singing Star |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] | page= 7 | date=18 September 1954}}</ref> Later that year it was selected as the title tune for the film
Since then it has been recorded by numerous artists, including [[Carmel Quinn]], [[The Clancy Brothers]], [[The Kingston Trio]], [[The Highwaymen (folk band)|The Highwaymen]] (who had a Top 40 hit with the song), [[Glenn Yarbrough]], Elton Hayes,<ref>[http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/childrensfav.htm List of Children's Favourites]</ref> [[The Seekers]], [[Foster & Allen]], and [[The Wiggles]].
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