Claire Fraser lost her own mother at a young age
With Outlander off-screens, fans are desperate for any relief, particularly after the season seven finale ended things on a bombshell twist suggesting Faith Fraser was alive.
There were several clues which pointed to Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) and Claire’s (Caitríona Balfe) baby surviving after seemingly being stillborn back in season two, including the reuse of the ditty I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.
Claire sang the tune to Faith as she held her in season two’s heartbreaking episode Faith, and then Fanny Pocock (Florrie May Wilkinson) also gave her own rendition in the season seven finale.
While the song clearly alludes to Faith’s survival, there’s a more tragic reason this song was chosen by the show’s writers.
Speaking on the Official Outlander Podcast previously, writer Toni Graphia said: “I wanted Claire singing to the baby too, because don’t forget, Claire lost her own mother when she was five and the only thing she remembers is her mother singing to her, and really that’s all she has to give that baby before she lost her forever. Her mum singing the song.”
Graphia searched for songs from Claire’s mother Julia Moriston’s (Hermione Corfield) era and happened upon the track I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.
“I found that song and I wanted it to be a whimsical, fun song as opposed to a sad song because that would play against it and be even sadder,” she said.
The song I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside was a British music hall song penned in 1907 by John H. Glover-Kind.
Executive producer Ronald D. Moore said: “I love that song. It was a great choice.” He lauded Graphia’s script as “deep” and really “grasped the essence” of Outlander.
I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside is likely to be referenced again in the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, which will be hitting screens this summer.
Although Starz has yet to confirm a firm premiere date, the show is expected to give fans lots of insight into both Jamie and Claire’s parents with plenty of callbacks.
The series is also expected to fill in the gaps about Claire’s parents’ death and whether or not they were time travellers, and indeed if her guardian Uncle Lamb (Prentis Hancock) possessed similar abilities.
Fans may even witness Julia singing the tune to an infant Claire, dovetailing neatly with parent series Outlander.