The Mosstrooper's Lament

Subject: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: Val
Date: 16 May 99 - 06:43 PM

Looking for chords and/or background info on this song It's not in the database (tried both a title and phrase search) or in the Forum archives. Beautiful song! I have the lyrics and would love to work it up. The recorded version I have is by Six Mile Bridge.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 May 99 - 06:51 PM

This may be a help BLUE CLICY THING

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 May 99 - 06:55 PM

Or then again, maybe not?

You can hear it though here

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 May 99 - 06:56 PM

Having a bad night.

I'll try again BLUE CLICKY THING

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: Val
Date: 16 May 99 - 07:23 PM

Glad to see you're s Six Mile Bridge fan, too! We've known Maggie since one of her first bands, Ceili's Muse and saw them perform in Dallas just last night. Guess I should just call or e-mail her for the Mosstrooper music. I've searched the web over and can't find anything at all about the song except for Six Mile Bridge's and a Stan Rogers' link.

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: Lesley N.
Date: 16 May 99 - 07:43 PM

I have it on my page. (You can do a "Find in Page" or use the search engine to find it.)

According to "Vocal Melodies of Scotland" (published around the 1830s) it first appeared in that collection. The book says "an unnamed lady presented the song to Sir Walter Scott. Scott gave it to Finlay Dun (a piano teacher in Edinburgh) who made the arrangement.

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: John Nolan
Date: 16 May 99 - 08:18 PM

The fullest background on this song can be had by getting The Steel Bonnets by George MacDonald Fraser - an immensely readable history of the Scottish/English border reivers from 1286-1603. "Ah ha!" you may say, "moss troopers didn't pop up on the border until about 1650." On reading the book, and matching it with the sentiment of the song, though, you might decide the author, as is common, has misapplied the term, and is really refering to the reivers of earlier times.

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: Val
Date: 16 May 99 - 08:30 PM

Leslie -

We already had your site bookmarked, actually! My husband says he uses it quite a bit to find lyrics. Should have thought to check there myself! Great site, by the way. I love the fact that you include histories and background information on the music. Very comprehensive site and I highly recommend it to anyone else reading this.

Subject: RE: The Mosstrooper's Lament
From: Val
Date: 16 May 99 - 08:34 PM

John -

Thanks for the suggestion! I was wanting to know more about the history. The book sounds like a great birthday present for my husband ... !