I will range through the wilds And the deep land so dreary And return with the spoils To the bower o' my dearie; Will ye go, lassie, go?
Oh, the autumn-time is comin' And the leaves will soon be fallin', And the blossoms o' the summer Will soon wither on the mountain; Will ye go, lassie, go?
Me, I'm going with the theory that Francis McPeake wrote it. To me, it feels like people want the song to be old and anonymous (would that make a good album title?) too much. Is anyone aware of this song in its present form turning up anywhere before McPeake?