The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6615 Message #606457
Posted By: Susanne (skw)
08-Dec-01 - 06:16 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: The Corries
Subject: Lyr Add: THE SHERRAMUIR FIGHT (Trad / Robert Burns
Thanks, Nikolaus! In case the link gets lost:
THE SHERRAMUIR FIGHT (Trad / Robert Burns)
O cam' ye here the fight tae shun, or herd the sheep wi' me, man Or were ye at the Sherra-moor, or did the battle see, man I saw the battle sair and teuch, and reekin' red ran many a sheugh My heart for fear gae'd sough for sough Tae hear the thuds and see the cluds o' Clans frae woods in tartan duds Wha glaum'd at kingdoms three man
The red-coat lads wi' black cockauds to meet them werenae slow, man They rush'd and push'd and blood outgush'd, and many a bouk did fa', man The great Argyle led on his files, I wat they glanc'd for twenty miles They hough'd the Clans like nine-pin kyles They hack'd and hash'd while braid swords clash'd and thro' they dash'd and hew'd and smash'd Till fey men died awa', man
Had ye seen the philibegs wi' skyrin tartan trews, man When in the teeth they dar'd our Whigs and covenant Trueblues, man Lines extended lang and large, bayonets o'erpower'd the targe Thousands hasten'd to the charge Wi' Highland wrath they frae the sheath drew blades o' death till out o' breath They fled like frighted dows, man
They've lost some gallant gentlemen amang the Hieland clans, man I fear my Lord Panmuir is slain or in his en'mies' hands, man Now wad ye sing this double flight, some cried for wrang and some for right And many bade the warld gudenight Sae pell, sae mell, wi' muskets knell, Tories fell and Whigs to hell Flew off in frighted bands, man
As far as I know these lyrics are Robert Burns' reworking of the song as published in vol 3 of The Scots Musical Museum.
Iain Stewart - 'A Man's A Man' was just outside your time limit, but what about Hamish Henderson's 'Freedom Come-All-Ye'? Compared to those (and a lot of others I can think of), 'Flower of Scotland' seems to me fairly - let's say uncomplicated! You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but why put it in such absolute language?