100 - Hieland Laddie (A)


Here the one of the most famous "stamp-'n'-go shanty. The "Hieland Laddie" comes from the old Scottish march and dance tune, very popular as walkaway and capstan shanty in old Dundee whalers. In Ferris & Tozer collection appears as a halyard shanty (in this case of course without grand chorus). Stan Hugill learned this version from Bosun Chenoworth who had sailed for years in the hard-bitten whaling ships of Dundee. Song with this amount of verses is obvious capstan shanty, to use as walkaway it sings at the unison, and used about half of the
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 141,142).



Hieland Laddie ( A )

There wuz a laddie came from Scotland,
   - Hieland laddie! Bonnie laddie!
Bonnie ladie from far Scotland,
   - Me Bonnie Hieland laddie O!

   - Way, hay an' away we go!
   - Hieland laddie, bonnie ladie!
   - Way, hay, an' away we go!
   - Me bonnie Hieland laddie O!

         *2*
Where have ye been all the day?
Where have ye been all the day?

         *3*
I did not see ye doon the glen,
I did not see ye near the burn,

         *4*
'Nay, I wuz no doon the glen,
Nay I wuz no near the burn.

         *5*
But I went to seek a road to fortune,
Thought I'd find a road to fortune.

         *6*
I joined a ship an' went a-sailin',
Sailed far north an' went a-whalin'.

         *7*
Shipped far north on a Dundee whaler,
Shipped far north as a whalin' sailor.

         *8*
Bound away to Iceland cold,
Found much ice but not much gold.

         *9*
Greenland is a cold country,
Not the place for you and me.

         *10*
Thought it was a way to fortune,
But whalin's not the road to fortune.

         *11*
Wist meself in Bonnie Scotland,
Back agen in Bonnie Scotland.

         *12*
We caught some whales an' boiled their blubber,
Oil an' fat chocked every scupper,

         *13*
We'll soon be homeward bound to Scotland,
Homeward bound to Bonnie Scotland.

         *14*
I'll be glad when I get hame,
I'll give up this whalin' game.

         *15*
Oh, Hieland Laddie went a-sailin',
Oh, Hieland Laddie went a-whalin',