What is the meaning of alay in folk song?

Answer 1

It may be a nonce word- sort of like a nonsense word- to fill the rhythm block, keep the line rhyming, a sort of filler. In the song Deserie- there is a secondary vocal rhythm line ( scat , if you will)- the goes- Vaya with each line. This roughly means ( Go or let go!) in a command sense. ( it is also in the Spanish slogan Vaya Con Dios- Go with God- by the way the motto of the Grace Line ( natural or supernatural choice. here, take 250 miligrams of saving Grace!- a standard joke in Church hospitals. Alay may be a nonce word but could also mean ( Go) like the archaic Allay ( verb) All Cares Allaying- in the song Santa Lucia ( all cares- well cast aside) Allez- pronounced Allay- means, again Go! in French. After each line in (Deserie) we have the phrase, Vaya- Don"t know what, You do to me ( Vaya!) You make my heart dear, (Vaya) skip a beat! ( this was later altered to feel so free maybe the Heart associaton was offended.