CHEVALIERS' MUSTER ROLL
(Trad)

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Jock and Tam and all is comin'
Dunkeld's comin', Donald's comin'
Conald's comin', Ronald's comin',
Dougal's comin', Lachan's comin'
Alastair and a's comin'

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Jock and Tam and a's comin'
Borland and his men are comin'
Cameron and MacLean are comin'
Gordon and MacGregor's comin'
Every duniewassal's comin'                        

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
MacGilvray and a's comin'
Wigtown's comin', Nithsdale's comin'
Cornwrath's comin', Kenmure's comin'
Derwentwater and Foster's comin'
Withrington and Nairn comin'

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Blythe, Cornhill and a's comin'
The Laird o' MacIntosh is comin'
MacRabie and MacDonald's comin'
MacKenzie and MacPherson's comin'
And the wild McCraws are comin'

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Donald Gun and a's comin'

Repeat 1

Repeat 2

Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
Little wat ye wha's comin'
MacGilvray and a's comin'

(duine uasail - Highlander, lit. gentleman)

As sung by The Corries on 'Live from Scotland, vol 3'

[1980:] Anyone who reads the letter which 'Bobbing John', the Earl of Mar (who raised King James VIII's standard in 1715), sent from Invercauld to the bailie of Kildrummy in September of that year will catch a depressing glimpse of the drab reality behind the tuppence-coloured pageantry of the Chevalier's Muster-roll:
"[...] let my own tenants in Kildrummy know, that if they come not forth with their best arms, I will send a party immediately to burn what they shall miss taking from them; and they may believe this not only a threat, but, by all that's sacred, I'll put it in execution, let my loss be what it will, that it may be an example to others [...]." A letter from Rob Roy MacGregor to General Alexander Gordon (the Marquis of Huntly), written a month later, tells much the same story [...]. (Hamish Henderson in Cowan 4f)

[1990:] For years Ewan opened concerts with this song, which he would use partly to test the acoustics, partly to check what condition his voice was in, but mostly because it is such a glorious song. It is a rallying call summoning the clans to battle and it was made and sung around the time the Earl of Mar raised the standard for King James in the North [in 1715]. Ewan identified strongly with the struggle of the Scots people to maintain their national identity. He learned this song from his father. (Notes Ewan MacColl, 'Black and White')