1. |
Bonnie George Campbell
02:56
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Hie upon Hielands and laigh upon Tay
Bonnie George Campbell rade oot on a day
Saddled and bridled and booted rade he
Hame cam his guid horse but never cam he.
Saddled and booted and bridled rade he
A plume tae his helmet, a sword at his knee
But toom cam his saddle a bluidy tae see
Hame cam his guid horse but never cam he.
Doon cam his auld mother, greetin fu sair
Oot cam his bonnie wife rivin her hair
“My meadow lies green and my corn is unshorn
My barn is tae big and my baby unborn”.
Hie upon Hielands and laigh upon Tay
Bonnie George Campbell rade oot on a day
Saddled and bridled and booted rade he
Hame cam his guid horse but never cam he
Hame cam his guid horse but never cam he.
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2. |
Burnie Bushel
01:34
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Gin ye’ll marry me lassie
At the kirk o’ Burnie Bushel
‘Till the day ye dee lassie
Ye will ne’er repent it
Ye will wear when ye are wed
A kirtle and a heiland plaid
And sleep upon a heather bed
Sae couthy an’ sae canty
Ye will gang sae braw lassie
Tae the kirk o Birnie Bushel
Little brogues an’ a’ lassie
Vow but ye’ll be canty
A’ll hunt the otter an’ the brock
The hart, the hare, the heather cock
A’ll pu’ ye limpets frae the rock
Tae mak the dishes dainty
Gin ye’ll marry me lassie
At the kirk o’ Burnie Bushel
‘Till the day ye dee lassie
Ye will ne’er repent it
Gin ye’ll marry me lassie
At the kirk o’ Burnie Bushel
‘Till the day ye dee lassie
Ye will ne’er repent it
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3. |
Baloo Baleery
02:35
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Baloo baleery,
Baloo baleery,
Baloo baleery,
Baloo balee
Gang awa perrie fairies
Gang awa perrie fairies
Gang awa perrie fairies
Frae oor bairn noo
Noo come bonny angels
Noo come bonny angels
Come bonny angels
Tae oor bairn noo
They’ll shine ower the cradle
They’ll shine ower the cradle
They’ll shine ower the cradle
O oor bairn noo
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4. |
Van Diemen's Land
03:03
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Come all you gallant poacher lads that ramble void of care
That walk out on a moonlit night with your dog, you gun, your snare
The harmless hare and pheasant you have at your command
Not thinking on your last career upon Van Diemen’s Land
Twas poor Jack Brown from Glasgow, Will Guthrie and Munro
They were three daring poachers the country well did know
The keepers caught them hunting, all with their guns in hand
For thirteen years transported unto Van Dieman’s Land
The very day we landed upon that fatal shore
The settlers they came round us, some forty score or more
They herded us like cattle, sold us out of hand
And yolked us to the plough my boys to plough Van Dieman’s land
Although the poor of Scotland do labour and do toil
They’re robbed of every blessing and produce of the soil
Your proud imperious landlords, i-f you break their commands
They’ll send you on the British hulks to plough Van Dieman’s land
Come all you gallant poacher lads that ramble void of care
That walk out on a moonlit night with your dog, you gun, your snare
The harmless hare and pheasant you have at your command
Not thinking on your last career upon Van Diemen’s Land
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5. |
Barbara Allan
06:07
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It fell about the Martinmas time, when the green leaves were doon fallin
That Sir John the Grahame from the West Countrie, fell in love wi Barbara Allan
He sent his men down through the town To the place where she was dwellin
O haste and come to ma maister dear, gin ye be Barbara Allan
O hooly, hooly she rose up, till she cam where he was lyin
An’ when she drew the curtains roun, Said “Young man I think ye’re dyin”
“I am sick and very very sick, an’ it’s a’ for Barbara Allan.”
“But the better for me ye ne’er shall be, though your heart’s blood were a-spillin.”
“Don’t you mind young man.” She said “When in the taven calling,
Ye made the toast gang roun and roun, but ye slighted Barbara Allan”
“A kiss o you would do me good, my bonnie Barbara Allan”
“But a kiss o me ye canna get, though your heart’s blood were a-spillin.”
He’s turned his face untae the wa’, for death was wi him dealin
Said ”Fare ye weel my kind friends a’, but be kind to Barbara Allan”
“Put in your han at my bedside, an there you’ll find a warran
Wi my gold watch an my prayer book, gie that to Barbara Allan”
“Put in your hand at my bedside an there you’ll find a warran.
An’ a napkin fu’l o’ my hairt’s blood, gie that to Barbara Allan”
Slowly, slowly rose she up, an’ slowly slowly left him
An’ sighing said, she couldna stay, since the death o life had reft him
She hadna gane a mile but ane, when she heard dead bell knellin
An ilka toll that the dead bell gae said woe to Barbara Allan
Then in came her faither dear said “Bonnie Barbara tak him”
“It’s time to bid me tak him noo, When you know his coffin’s makin”
In then cam her brother dear, said “Tak him Barbara tak him”
“It’s time to bid me tak him noo, now his grave-claes is a-makin”
Then in cam her sister dear, said “Bonnie Barbara tak him”
“It’s time to bid me tak him noo, when my hairt it is a-breakin”
“O Mother dear mak ma bed an mak it lang an narrow
My love has died for me the-day, I’ll die for him the-morrow.”
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6. |
Walking All Alane
03:51
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As I was walkin a alane
I heard a young man plead in vain
And he was following a lassie fair
Tae mak her his forever mair -o
Tae mak her his forever mair
The lad untae the lass did say
“O lassie please be mine the day”
She tossed her head and tae him said
“I’d ne’er loe ye though all men were dead - o
I’d ne’er loe ye though all men were dead”
He wrung his hands and tore his hair
But he couldna win thon lassie fair
He threatened he wid tak a knife
And end his ain and his sweet love’s life -o
And end his ain and his sweet love’s life
She seemed tae say wi her een sae blue
“O lad tae ye I couldna be true
I loe and lad an he loves me
Fur me tae loe ye wouldna be - o
Fur me tae loe ye wouldna be
An there he stood ablow a tree
And made his mind they baith must dee
He drew his knife and struck a blow
An reid her young heart’s blood did flow-o
An reid her young heart’s blood did flow
He plunged it deep in his ain breast
An fell by her tae his last rest
He twined his airms roon that lassie fair
An she was his forever mair-o
An she was his forever mair
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7. |
Jamie Raeburn
04:08
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My name is jamie Raeburn, frae Glasgow toon I came
My place and habitation I’m forced to leave wi shame
Frae my place and habitation I noo maun gang awa’
Far frae the bonnie hills an dales of Caledonia
It was early in the morning just at the break o day
The turnkey cam to wake us, and unto us did say
“Arise, ye hapless convicts, arise ye ane and a’,
This is the day you are to stray from Caledonia.”
We all arose, put on our clothes, our hairts were fu o grief
Our friends, who stood around the coach, could grant us no relief
Our parents, wives, and sweethairts, their hairts were broke in twa
Tae see us leave the bonnie braes of Caledonia
Fareweel my aged mither, don’t grieve for what I’ve done
Let nane o’ them cast up to you the race that I hae run
May providence protect you, when I am far awa,
Far, far, frae all the hills and dales of Caledonia
Fareweel my honest faither, for ye’re the best o’ men
Likewise my ain dear sweetheart, it’s Catherine is her name
Nae mair we’ll walk by Clyde’s clear stream or by the Broomielaw
For I muan leave the hills and dales of Caledonia
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8. |
Twa Recruitin' Segeants
06:00
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Twa recruiting sergeants came frae the Black Watch
Tae markets and fairs, some recruits for tae catch.
But a' that they 'listed was forty an twa:
Sae list my bonnie laddie an' come awa.
For its into the barn and out o' the byre,
This ole farmer, he thinks ye never tire.
It's slavery a' yer life, a life o' low degree.
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa wi me
And it's over the mountain and over the Main,
Through Gibralter, to France and Spain.
Pit a feather tae your bunnet, and a kilt aboon your knee,
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa wi me.
With your tattie pourin's and yer meal and kale,
Yer soor, soor, soorin's and yer ill-brewed ale,
Yer buttermilk, yer whey, and yer breid baked raw.
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa.
Oh laddie ye dinna ken the danger that yer in.
If yer horses was to fleg, and yer owsen was to rin,
This greedy ole farmer, he wouldna pay yer fee.
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa wi' me
O laddie if ye've got a sweetheart an' a bairn,
Ye'll easily get rid o' that ill-spun yarn.
Twa rattles o' the drum, aye and that'll pay it a'.
Sae list my bonnie laddie and come awa.
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9. |
Mormond Braes
04:18
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As I gaed doon by Strichen Toon
I heard a fair maid mourning
An she was makin’ sair complaint
At her true love ne’er returning
Sae fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes
Where aft-times I’ve been cheery
Fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes
For it’s there I lost my dearie
Oh I’ll pit on ma goon o’ green
As a forsaken token
As’ that will let the young men know
That the bands o’ love are broken
There’s mony a horse has snappert an’ fa’en
An risen again fu’ rarely
There’s mony a lass has lost her lad
An’ gotten anither richt early
There’s as guid fish intae the sea
As ever yet wis taken
I’ll cast ma net and try again
For I’m only yince forsaken
Sae I’ll gae doon tae Strichen Toon
Where I was bred and born
An’ there I’ll get anither sweethert
Will mairry me the morn
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10. |
The Road to Dundee
03:06
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Cauld winter was howlin o’er moor and oe’r mountain
And wild was the surge on the dark rolling sea
When I met about day break, a bonnie young lassie
Who asked me the road and the miles tae Dundee
Said I, “My young lassie, I canna weel tell ye
The road and the distance I canna weel gie
But if ye’ll permit me tae gang a wee bittie
I’ll show you the road and the miles tae Dundee”
At once she consented she gave me her arm
Ne’r a word did I speir wha the lassie might be
She appeared like an angel in feature and form
A she walked by my side on the road tae Dundee
At length, wi the howe o Strathmartine behind us
And the spires o the toon in full view we could see
She said “Gentle sir I can never forget ye
For showing me so far on the road tae Dundee
This ring and this purse take to show I am grateful
And some simple token I trust ye’ll gie me
And in times to come I’ll the laddie remember
That showed me the road and the miles tae Dundee
I took the gowd pin form the scarf on my bosom
And said, “Keep ye this in remembrance o me”
The bravely I kissed the sweet lips on the lassie
Ere I parted wi her on the road tae Dundee
So here’s tae the lassie - I ne’er can forget her-
And like ilka young laddie that’s listening to me
And never be sweer to convoy a young lassie
Though it’s only to show her the road tae Dundee
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The Ledger: Gillian Frame & Findlay Napier Glasgow, UK
Every week in the late 50s and early 60s The Scotsman published a traditional Scottish folk song: lyrics and melody
alongside an explanatory article. Findlay’s Grandfather, cut them out and pasted them into an old ledger. The Ledger is a time capsule of the fledgeling Scottish and UK folk scene
and is brought to life by Findlay Napier, Gillian Frame and
producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Vass.
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Contact The Ledger: Gillian Frame & Findlay Napier
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