Author: David Gilfillan

Chorus

Wha will ride wi’ gallant Murray , wha will ride for Geordie’s sel’
He’s the flooer o’ Glen Isla and the darlin’ o’ Dunkeld
See the white rose in his bonnet, see his banner o’er the Tay
His guid sword he noo has drawn it and has flung his sheath away

Every faithfu’ Murray follows, first of heroes, best of men
Every true and trusty Stewart blythely leaves his native glen
Athol lads are lads of honour, westland rogues are rebels a’
When we come within their border we maun gar the Campbell ‘s claw

Menzies he’s our friend and brother, Gask and Strowan are nae slack
Noble Perth has ta’en the field and a’ the Drummonds at his back
Let us ride wi’ gallant Murray , let us fight for Charlie’s crown
From the right we’ll never sinder til we bring the tyrants down

MacIntosh the gallant sodger, wi’ the Grahams and Gordons gay
They hae ta’en the field of honour, spite of all their c***fs could say
Bend the musket point the rapier, shift the brog for Lowland shoe
Scour the durk and face the danger, MacIntosh has all to do

Wha will ride wi’ gallant Murray , wha will ride for Geordie’s sel’
He’s the flooer o’ Glen Isla and the darlin’ o’ Dunkeld
See the white rose in his bonnet, see his banner o’er the Tay
His guid sword he noo has drawn it and has flung his sheath away

Chorus:
Fare thee well, ye Mormond Braes
Whaur oft times I’ve been cheery
Fare thee well, ye Mormond Braes
For it’s there I lost my dearie

As I went in by Strichen Toon
I heard a fair maid mourning
She was makin’ sair complaint
For her true love ne’er returnin’

There’s as good fish in tae the sea
As ever yet were taken
I’ll cast ma nets and try again
For I’m only once forsaken

There’s many a horse has sipped an’ fell
An’ risen again right early
There’s many a lass has lost her lad
And got another right rarely

So I’ll put on my gown of green
It’s a forsaken token
And that will let the young lads know
That the bonds of love are broken


I’ll gang back to Strichen toon
Where I was bred and born in
And I will get another young lass
Tae marry me in the morning

Come all ye jolly shepherd lads that whistle thro’ the glen
I’ll tell you all a secret that the courtiers dinnae ken
What is the greatest bliss that the tongue o’ man can name
Is tae woo a bonnie lassie when the kye come hame

Chorus
When the kye come hame, when the kye come hame
‘Tween the gloamin’ and the mirk, when the kye come hame

‘Tis no’ beneath the burgenet nor yet beneath the crown
It’s not on couch of velvet, nor yet on a bed of down
It’s beneath the spreading birch in the dell without a name
Wi’ a bonnie, bonnie lassie when the kye come hame


See yonder pawky shepherd lad that lingers on the hill
His sheep are in the fauld, and his lambs are lying still
But he daurnae gang tae bed for his heart is in a flame
Tae meet his bonnie bonnie lassie when the kye come hame


Awa’ wi’ fame and fortune what comfort can it gie
And a’ the airts that prey upon man’s life and liberty
Gie me the highest joy that the heart o’ man can frame
My bonnie, bonnie lassie when the kye come hame

Sails she swiftly from the harbour
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Like a lone gull before the storm winds
Fal la lee ho fa la lee
Kismaels’ galley goes a reiving
Sails she swiftly to Isla’s shore
To isles of daring and deeds and laughter
Fa la lee ho fa la lee

Through the moonlight she lays her coursing
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Far beneath her the grey blue limplets
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Spoils of glory is her venture
Deeds of glory in brightest dawn
On through Moorla to fair green Isla
Fal de re ho fa la lee

Turns she homeward through dancing sunlight
Fal de re ho fa la lee
From soft green southland to northern darnight
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Scars of battle are on her timbers
Grain and cattle for hungry homes
Hardy winter stole her boyhood
Fal de re ho fa la lee

Now the harpist weaves his story
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Laments to heroes of former glory
Fal de re ho fa la lee
Kismael’s galley is safely home now
Sleeps she gently like a swan
No dreams of war now her wings are folded
Fal de re ho fa la lee

I met a little yellow girl down in Callao

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

She said to me this yellow girl won’t you be my bow

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

Chorus

Doona let me go me girls doona let me go

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

.

She swung her hips she gave a smile 

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

Grabbed me bu me Bobstay boys and would’t let me go

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

.

I wish I was in Madam Gashee’s down in Callao

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

I’d throw me line about it boys and take the place in tow

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

.

I met a little yellow girl down in Callao

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

She said to me this yellow girl won’t you be my bow

Hurra me yellow girls doona let me go

The old ways are changing you cannot deny
The day of the traveler is over
There’s nowhere to go and there’s nowhere to bide
So farewell to the life of the rover

Chorus.

Goodbye to the tent and the old caravan
To the tinker, the gypsy, the traveling man
And goodbye to the thirty foot trailer

Farewell to the cant and the Romany tongue
Farewell to the Romany talking
The buying and the selling, the old fortune telling
The knock on the door and the hawking

You’ve got to move fast to keep up with the times
For these days a man cannot dander
There’s a bylaw to say you must be on your way
And another to say you can’t wander

Farewell to the besoms of heather and bloom
Farewell to the creels and the basket
The folks of today they would far sooner pay
For a thing that’s been made out of plastic

Goodbye to the tent and the old caravan
To the tinker, the gypsy, the traveling man
And goodbye to the thirty foot trailer

The old ways are passing and soon will be gone
For progress is aye a big factor
It’s sent to afflict us and when they evict us
They’ll tow us away with a tractor

Farewell to the pony, the cob and the mare
The reins and the harness are idle
You don’t need a strap when you’re breaking up scrap
So farewell to the bit and the bridle

Farewell to the fields where we’ve sweated and toiled
At pullin’ and crownin’ and liftin’
They’ll soon have machines and the traveling queens
And their menfolk had better be shiftin’

You’ve got to move fast to keep up with the times
For these days a man cannot dander
There’s a bylaw to say you must be on your way
And another to say you can’t wander

Chorus 
Ca’ the yowes to the knowes, 
Ca’ them where the heather grows, 
Ca’ them where the burnie rowes, 
My bonie dearie.

Hark, the mavis e’ening sang 
Sounding Clouden’s woods amang 
Then a-faulding let us gang. 
My bonie dearie.

We’ll gae down by Clouden side, 
Thro the hazels, spreading wide 
O’er the waves that sweetly glide 
To the moon sae clearly.

Yonder Clouden’s silent towers 
Where, at moonshine’s midnight hours, 
O’er the dewy bending flowers 
Fairies dance sae cheery.

Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear 
Thou’rt to Love and Heav’n sae dear 
Nocht of ill may come thee near, 
My bonie dearie.

Fair and lovely as thou art

thou hast stolen my very heart

I can die but canna part

Wi’ my bonnie dearie.

I ken ye dinna like it lass, the winter here in toon

For the scaldies a misca us, and they try tae bring us doon

And it’s hard tae raise three bairns, in a single flae box room

But I’ll tak ye on the road again, when the yella’s on the broom.

Chorus.

When the yella’ s on the broom, when the yella’ s on the broom

I’ll tak ye on the road again, when the yella’s on the broom.

.

The scaldies ca us tinker dirt, and they spurn oor bairn’s in school

But fa cares fit the scaldies think, for the scaldies but a fool

They never hear the yarlin’s song, nor see the flaxen bloom

For they’re cooped up in hooses when the yella’s on the bloom

.

Nae sale for pegs or baskets noo, that used to bide our lives

But I seem to work at scaldies jobs, from nie o’ clock till five

But we ca’ nae man oor maister, when we own the warld roon

And I’ll bid fareweel tae Breechin, when the yella’s on the broom

.

I’m weary for the springtime, when we tak the road aince mair

T ae the plantin and the fermin, and the berry fields O Blair

When we meet up wae oor kin-folk, frae a the country roon

And we yarn aboot wha’ll tak the road when the yella’s on the broom

Willie Taylor and his youthful lover,
Full of mirth and loyalty,
They were going to the church to be married,
He was pressed and sent on sea.

Dolly dilly dum dilly dum dum day

She dressed herself up like a sailor
On her breast she wore a star
Her lovely fingers long and slender
She gave them all just a smear of tar.

On the ship there being a skirmish
She was one amongst the rest
A silver button flew off her jacket
There appeared her snow-white breast

Said the captain to this fair maid
What misfortune has took you here
I’m in search of my true lover,
Who you pressed on the other year.

If you’re in search of your true lover
Tell me what might be his name
Willie Taylor’s what they call him,
But Fitzgerald is his name.

If you’ll get up tomorrow morning
Early as the break of day
There you’ll spy your Willie Taylor
Walking along with a lady gay.

So she got up the very next morning
Early as the break of day
And there she spied her Willie Taylor
Walking along with a lady gay.

So she pulled out a brace of pistols
That she had at her command
And there she shot her Willie Taylor
With his bride at his right hand.

When the captain came to hear
Of the deed that she had done
He made her a ship’s commander
Over a vessel for the Isle of Man.Dolly

Oh the springtime returns to the Laggan again
And the lark sweetly sings o’er the green fertile plain
So I’ll tak the road that is dearest to me,
The road to Drumleman that winds tae the sea.

For I’ve made many friends there on every green mile
And the folks always greet me with a wave and a smile
If I spend all my days here, it’s happy I’ll be,
On the road to Drumleman that winds tae the sea.

For we sat roon the fireside when the winter winds blew
And we laughed and we sang till the night was well through
Then we’d have a good dram and a wee cup o’ tea
For the road to Drumleman that winds tae the sea.

And the long summer days when we tramped the hills o’er
To spend hours at the Eenans or Creggin’s wild shore
And the soft summer twilight made shadows to flee
On the road to Drumleman that winds tae the sea.

Oh these days passing swiftly bring changes I know
And as time passes on from this place we must go
But I’ll always remember while the heart beats in me,
The road to Drumleman that winds tae the sea.