Lyr Req/Add: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie

Subject: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: Jon W.
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 01:18 PM

Anyone have the lyrics for this Jacobite song? The only recording of it I have is by a German singer and I can't quite tell what he's saying half the time.

Wha wouldna fecht for Charlie,
Wha wouldna draw the sword....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:02 PM

Part of the problem with finding this song is that everybody insists on spelling it differently, but the very useful "Digitrad and Forum Search" facilty on the Main Forum Page, when asked to find for charlie, returns:

Wha wadna fight for Charlie

When there is any doubt about spelling (almost always the case when dealing with Scottish songs, which are often a combination of Standard and other spellings, and which in any case many people misunderstand) a search for a phrase is far more likely to succeed than a search for the title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug (without a cookie)
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:05 PM

I'll dig these up from the Corries Songbook

Cheers

Steven

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug (without a cookie)
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:07 PM

Or now that Malcom has found it on the Digitrad where I so abjectly failed.. I won't bother posting it....

Cheers anyway

Steven C

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: Jon W.
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 12:24 PM

Thank you Malcolm, I'd tried every which way I could think of to search the forum and DT, but the spelling did me in...

Subject: Lyr Add: WHA WADNA FECHT FOR CHAIRLIE
From: GUEST,Geordy Lass
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 03:41 PM

Wha wadna fecht for Chairlie
Wha wadna draw the sword
Wha wadna up and rally
At the Royal Prince's word?

1 Think on Scotia's ancient heroes
Think on foreign foes repelled
Think on loyal Bruce and Wallace
Wha the proud usurper quelled

2. See the northern clans advancing
See Glengarry and Lochiel
See the Brandished broadsword glancing
Highland hearts as true as steel

3. Now the Prince has raised his banner
Now triumphant is our cause
Now the Scottish Lion rallies
Let us fight for Prince and Laws

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug (without a cookie)
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 03:57 PM

Heh! - What I DID find on one site was a great mondegreen instead of :Think on loyal Bruce and Wallace they had think on loyal GRUESOME Wallace ..

Which made me smile

Cheers

Steven C

Subject: RE: Lyrics - Wha' wouldna fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,anonymus
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 10:07 AM

Could you please tell us the lyrics to "Wha' wouldna fecht for Charlie" ?

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Messages from multiple threads combined. This message and the ones below are from a new thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: WHA WAD NAE FECHT FOR CHARLIE?
From: DMcG
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 10:13 AM

Here's one version:

Chorus:
Wha wad nae fecht for Charlie
Wha wadnae dra' a sword
Wha wadnae up and rally
At the royal prince's word.

Think of Scotia's ancient heroes
Think of foreign foes we felled
Think of loyal Bruce and Wallace
All the soldiers who fought well.
Chorus:

2. See the northern clans advancing
See Glengarry and Lochiel
See the brandished broad swords glancing
Highland hearts as true as steel.
Chorus:

3. Now the prince has raised his banner
Now triumphant this our cause
Now the Scottish lion rallies
Let us strike for Prince and laws.
Chorus:

Subject: RE: Lyrics - Wha' wouldna fecht for Charlie
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 01:14 PM

See also these earlier threads:

Wha wadnae ficht fer Chairlie where Bruce Olson posted song and tune as published in Hogg's Jacobite Relics (1821), where the title was spelled Wha wadna fight for Charlie.

Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie (above) - a later request from someone who couldn't find the song. I provided a link to the existing text, but someone popped up a little later and posted the lyric again anyway.

I'll repeat here the advice I gave on searching the DT and Forum for (in particular) Scottish songs:

Part of the problem with finding this song is that everybody insists on spelling it differently, but the ... "Lyrics and Knowledge Search" facilty at the top of the main Forum Page, when asked to find for charlie, returns:

Wha wadna fight for Charlie

When there is any doubt about spelling (almost always the case when dealing with Scottish songs, which are often a combination of Standard and other spellings, and which in any case many people misunderstand) a search for a phrase is far more likely to succeed than a search for the title.

That will be of less help to those who think that "Charlie" should be spelled "Chairlie" or "Cherley", of course. Strictly speaking, it isn't really a traditional song, so the text from Hogg can safely be taken as definitive.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: tuggy mac
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 02:02 PM

amazing how a tub o worms can be unearthed with a request for the funny version o tattie howkers. Its been a real eye opener!


Cheers all .

Tuggy mac.

Subject: ADD Version: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 02:39 AM

This version has an extra verse (the one about the kilts). The Website where I found it, does not cite a source for these lyrics.

WHA WADNA FECHT FOR CHARLIE?

CHORUS :
Wha wadna' fecht for Charlie?
Wha wadna' draw the sword?
Wha wad nae up an' rally
At the royal Prince's word?

Think on Scotland's ancient heroes
Think on foreign foes to fell
Think on glorious gruesome Wallace
What the proud usurpers quelled
CHORUS

Rouse ye rows o' kilted warriors
Rouse ye heroes o' the North
Rouse and join your chieftains' banners
'Tis your Prince that leads you forth
CHORUS

See the northern clans advancing
See Glengarrie and Montiel
See the brandished broadswords glancing
Highland hats of cruel steel [sic]
CHORUS

Know our Prince has raised his banner
Know triumphant is our cause
Know the Scottish Lion rallies
Let us fight for Prince and laws
CHORUS


Source: http://scotsongs.blogspot.com/2005/07/wha-wadna-fecht-for-charlie.html

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,Allan C
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 06:10 AM

"Wadna" or "wadnae"

The Scots language never developed a modern common spelling standard as such because in education etc it was swamped by Standard English. I think 'wadna' would be the more common spelling but Hogg being a Borderer would probably have pronounced it as "wadnae". In the same way that folk speaking the modern Borders of dialect of Scots would generally pronounce "dinna" and "canna" as "dinnae" and "cannae"

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: GUEST,Buddy
Date: 21 Nov 09 - 04:01 PM

In Glasgow it would be widnae

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Wha Wouldna Fecht for Charlie
From: Big Tim
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 05:40 AM

Check out Alex Campbell's rousing rendition on his CD 'CRM' with Alan Roberts and Dougie Maclean.