To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23804
14 messages

Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)

28 Jul 00 - 05:15 PM (#266870)
Subject: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: GUEST,Len Wallace

Hello Friends,

I'm searching for the lyrics of a song once sung by The Corries, about the battle at Sherrifmiur or Sheramoor.

I don't mean the Robbie Burns song of the battle, but another one.

One of the lines reads (I think):

General Cope left Fray behind to keep his men in order When the English ran he was in the van and first across the border.

Another line about about "some wet their cheeks, some filled their breeks, and some lay doon like deid, man"

Thanks for your help.

28 Jul 00 - 08:09 PM (#266946)
Subject: Lyr Add: BATTLE OF PRESTONPANS (R Williamson)^^^
From: Sorcha

THE BATTLE OF PRESTONPANS

Roy Williamson / Trad
General Cope led frae behind to keep his men in order
When the English ran he was in the van and first across the border

The Chevalier being void o' fear did march up Birsle Brae, man
Through Tranent ere he did stent as fast as he could gae, man
General Cope did taunt and mock wi' many a loud huzza, man
But ere next morn proclaimed the dawn we heard another craw, man

The brave Lochiel, as I heard tell, led Camerons on in clouds, man
The morning fair and clear the air, they loose'd wi' devilish thuds, man
Doon guns they threw and swords they drew, soon they chased them off, man
On Seaton Crafts they buffet their chafts and gar'd them run like daft, man

Now Cadell? dressed in among the rest wi' gun and guid claymore, man
A gelding grey he rade that day wi' pistols set before, man
The cause was good, he'd spend his blood before that he would yield, man
But the night before he left the core and never faced the field, man

Now Simpson keen to clear his een o' rebels far and round, man
Did never strive wi' pistols five but galloped wi' the throng, man
On (?) Hill there he stood still before he tasted meat, man
Troth he may brag o' his swift nag that bore him off so fleet, man

The bluff Dragoon swore blood and 'oons they'd mak' the rebels run, man
Yet they flee when them they see and winnae fire a gun, man
They turn'd their back, their foot they brak', terror seiz'd them a', man
Some wet their cheeks, some filled their breeks and some for fear did fa', man

As sung by The Corries

[1988:] The government forces under General Sir John Cope thrust rashly into the hills, were outmanoeuvred, because of the superior mobility of Highland foot (heavily equipped infantry of the line could march as little as ten miles a day; Highlanders could do thirty or forty at a push), and within a fortnight Charles Edward was in Edinburgh. Cope shipped his force back to Dunbar and marched to the relief of the capital, only to be surprised and routed at Prestonpans, almost within sight of the city. The unimaginable had happened. The serenely confident Whig establishment, self-styled bulwark of 'British liberties', had collapsed like a house of cards. The Auld Stewarts were back again with a vengeance and Edinburgh was in the hands of what many had been conditioned to regard as a heathenish and barbaric rabble. (Donaldson 39)

from here.

Is this it? ^^^

29 Jul 00 - 12:13 AM (#267080)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: GUEST

General Sir John Cope certainly wasn't around as early as the Battle of Sherrifmuir.

29 Jul 00 - 12:22 AM (#267085)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: Pene Azul

Wow Sorch. Nice one.

PA

29 Jul 00 - 01:07 AM (#267108)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: Sorcha

I'm still not quite sure just how Len managed to get "Sherrifmuir" out of Prestonpans, but there ya go.

29 Jul 00 - 12:25 PM (#267311)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: GUEST,Len Wallace

Thanks everyone.

I got back from a gig late last night and just before turning into bed I suddenly realised that indeed Jonny cope was not around at the Battle of Sheramoor in 1715, but at Prestonpans in '45.

Many thanks for the lyrics.

29 Jul 00 - 01:08 PM (#267331)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: dick greenhaus

it's in DigiTrad, in a couple of versions. try a search for "cheeks breeks" (without the quotes). Titles are a snare and a delusion.

29 Jul 00 - 02:56 PM (#267374)
Subject: RE: Lyr. req: Sherrifmuir/Sheramoor
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

"The Battle of Prestonpans" in DT file TRANMUI2 is that in Hogg's 'Jacobite Relics', II, #62, 1821. The same text (except 'shit' in the 5th verse is expurgated) is called "Tranet Muir" in 'The Scots Musical Museum', #102, 1788. the tune in both cases is "Gillikrankie" (Killikrankie).

11 Mar 10 - 11:19 PM (#2862320)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)
From: GUEST,Christina

What is meant by "Seaton's crafts"?

12 Mar 10 - 02:14 AM (#2862351)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)
From: GUEST,Allan Connochie

"I'm searching for the lyrics of a song once sung by The Corries, about the battle at Sherrifmiur or Sheramoor"

You're mixing up not just your battles but your wars Len. The song you quote is about the Battle of Prestonpans where Bonnie Prince Charlie's army defeated the Hanovarian army led by General Cope during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. The Battle of Sherrifmuir was in the 1715 Rebellion when the Hanovarian army led by the Campbell, Duke of Argyll, halted Mar's Jacobite army.

12 Mar 10 - 01:04 PM (#2862741)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE SHERRAMUIR FIGHT (Trad / Robert Burns
From: DonMeixner

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 sung by The Corries)

12 Mar 10 - 05:31 PM (#2862974)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)
From: Jack Campin

"crafts" = "crofts" in modern Scots, i.e. smallholdings. The Seatons (or Setons) were the biggest landowners and industrialists of the Prestonpans area, and their tenants were one of the worst-hit groups of casualties of the invasion.

12 Mar 10 - 05:33 PM (#2862975)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)
From: robd

Another version, Tranent Muir, from the singing of the Tannahil Weavers. I once cornered them after a concert in the hopes that they could explain some of the references. They knew as much as I did, which was, it's a great song. This one does not have a refrain.

You can compare the two here:
Corries
Tannahill Weavers

14 Mar 10 - 01:56 PM (#2864004)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battle of Prestonpans (Roy Williamson)
From: Jim Dixon

There are 2 versions of the song that begins "The Chevalier being void o' fear" already in the DT: THE BATTLE OF PRESTONPANS (15 verses) and TRANENT MUIR (6 verses).

The one called THE BATTLE OF PRESTONPANS matches pretty closely (except for the title and spelling) the oldest version I can find with Google Books: One called TRANENT MUIR in Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc. [by David Herd] (Edinburgh: James Dickson and Charles Elliot, 1776), Vol. 1, page 109.