Lyr Req: Ballad of the Men of Knoydart (Seumas Mor

Subject: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: GUEST,Stavanger Bill
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 09:05 AM

Can anyone please provide the lyrics for a song I believe to be called 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'. I can remember Hamish Imlach recording it, but cannot remember who wrote it.

Thanks,

Bill.

Subject: Lyr Add: BALLAD OF THE MEN OF KNOYDART
From: MMario
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 09:12 AM

BALLAD OF THE MEN OF KNOYDART
( Seumas Mor)
(Tune: "Johnston's Motor Car")
(As sung by Hamish Henderson)

'Twas down by the farm of Scottas,
Lord Brocket walked one day,
And he saw a sight that worried him
Far more than he could say,
For the "Seven Men of Knoydart"
Were doing what they'd planned--
They had staked their claims and were digging their drains,
On Brocket's Private Land.

"You bloody Reds," Lord Brocket yelled,
"Wot's this you're doing 'ere?
It doesn't pay as you'll find today,
To insult an English peer.
You're only Scottish half-wits,
But I'll make you understand.
You Highland swine, these Hills are mine!
This is all Lord Brocket's Land.

I'll write to Arthur Woodburn, boys,
And they will let you know,
That the 'Sacred Rights of Property'
Will never be laid low.
With your stakes and tapes, I'll make you traipse
From Knoydart to the Rand;
You can dig for gold till you're stiff and cold--
But not on this e're Land."

Then up spoke the Men of Knoydart;
"Away and shut your trap,
For threats from a Saxon brewer's boy,
We just won't give a rap.
O we are all ex-servicement,
We fought against the Hun.
We can tell our enemies by now,
And Brocket, you are one!"

When he heard these words that noble peer
Turned purple in the face.
He said, "These Scottish savages
Are Britain's black disgrace.
It may be true that I've let some few
Thousand acres go to pot,
But each one I'd give to a London spiv,
Before any Goddam Scot!

"You're a crowd of Tartan Bolshies!
But I'll soon have you licked.
I'll write to the Court of Session,
For an Interim Interdict.
I'll write to my London lawyers,
And they will understand."
"Och to Hell with your London lawyers,
We want our Highland Land."

When Brocket heard these fightin' words,
He fell down in a swoon,
But they splashed his jowl with uisge,
And he woke up mighty soon,
And he moaned, "These Dukes of Sutherland
Were right about the Scot.
If I had my way I'd start today,
And clear the whole dam lot!"

Then up spoke the men of Knoydart:
"You have no earthly right.
For this is the land of Scotland,
And not the Isle of Wight.
When Scotland's proud Fianna,
With ten thousand lads is manned,
We will show the world that Highlanders
Have a right to Scottish Land."

"You may scream and yell, Lord Brocket--
You may rave and stamp and shout,
But the lamp we've lit in Knoydart
Will never now go out.
For Scotland's on the march, my boys--
We think it won't be long.
Roll on the day when The Knoydart Way
Is Scotland's battle song."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: GUEST,Stavanger Bill
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 10:01 AM

Thanks MMario - That's the one - in seven minutes, absolutely marvellous.

Best wishes and thanks again.

Bill.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: MMario
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 10:15 AM

sorry it took so long. I'm at work and got interrupted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 11:01 AM

Also posted by Wolfgang and Dicho a couple of weeks back:  Scottish Song about Crofters rebelling

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: 8_Pints
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 02:00 PM

Also available on "Rowan in the Rock" CD [LTCD3002]featuring Alison McMorland, Geordie McIntyre with Kirsty Potts. (Living Tradition Bearers label)

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 06:31 PM

Malcolm, thanks for pointing out the thread with the song and story already posted. It shows that I am not the only one who commits this error by not thoroughly checking before "rushing to press."
In some cases, duplication is inevitable because some songs are almost completely hidden in Mudcat's haystack. Check for "The Streets of Laredo," which is under "Cowboy's Lament" but not under "The Cowboy's Lament" (or is it v. v.?). Also see the current thread on the MTA song where even Masato Sakurai re-posted because the wrong version comes up with "Ship That Never Returned;" you must enter "THE Ship..." By the time all thread and DT possibilities are checked, interest is lost.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: MMario
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 08:05 PM

no the trick is to rely on lyrics rather then titles - titles are more variable in the long run.

but that only works when you KNOW (more or less) what you are looking for.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Seven Men of Knoydart'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Jan 02 - 09:06 PM

That's certainly true.  I knew that this song had been dealt with recently (too recently to have been properly indexed) and I found it by tracing MMario's recent posts, 'cos I remembered that he'd been on that thread and I hadn't.  Crashed Netscape to begin with, mind...