I also had trouble a few years ago when I was trying to find all the words to this song. I agree, there was no point in the mangled version being posted again! I first heard this song many, many years ago; my late husband, who claimed some distant kinship with Montrose, could occasionally be coaxed to sing it. My little correction to the lyrics--in the third verse from the bottom: "nail my head on yonder tower, give every town a limb and God who made shall gather *them*, I go from you to Him" which is taken almost word for word from something Montrose said before his death. I fear that his faith was not entirely rewarded; although the remains of Montrose were eventually gathered up and given a proper funeral after the Restoration of Charles II, his right arm was apparently never recovered. As recently as 1891 it--or at least an old, mummified arm reputed to be it--was purchased by one J.W. Morlick of Leeds, along with the sword also reputed to have belonged to the Marquis. The sword pretty obviously was his--it had his arms on it and even his initials scratched on the hilt--and the arm very well may have been. Alas, it has since been lost--probably in some dusty attic somewhere.
|