Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)

Subject: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: GUEST,Lane R.
Date: 02 Oct 26 - 10:39 PM

Transcribed the full lyrics of The Fair Flower of Northumberland - The Exiles, from their 1967 album The Hale and the Hanged. No matching lyrics for this specific recording seem to be online.

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The provost's ae dochter was walking her lane
O but her love 'twas easy won
When she heard the Scots prisoner makin' his mane
And she was the Flower of Northumberland

"It's o gin a lassie wad borrae me"
O gin her love 'twas easy won
"I wad mak' her a lady o high degree
If she'd loose me oot o this prison sae strang"

She's done her ben tae her faither's bed-stock
O but her love 'twas easy won
And she's stolen the keys for mony brave locks
Tae loose him oot o his prison sae strang

She's done her ben tae her faither's stable
O but her love 'twas easy won
And she's stolen the steed that was baith fleet and able
Tae hurl them on tae bonnie Scotland

As they were a-ridin' across the Scots moor
He said "O but yer love 'twas easy won
Get doon frae ma horse — ye're a brazen-faced whore
Although ye're the Flower of Northumberland"

"For it's I hae ma wife in my ain country
O but yer love 'twas easy won
And I cannae dae naethin' wi' a lassie like thee
So ye'll need tae gae back tae Northumberland"

"It's cook in yer kitchen I surely will be
Although my love 'twas easy won
For I cannae gae hame tae ma ain country
Although I'm the Flower of Northumberland"

"It's cook in ma kitchen ye cannae will be
O but yer love 'twas easy won
For ma lady she winnae hae servants like thee
So ye'll need tae gae hame tae Northumberland"

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I'd be happy to receive any corrections, especially on dialect grammar. Posted to Musixmatch, but I was left hanging on proofreading.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Oct 26 - 11:49 PM

But laith was he the lassie tae tine
O but her love 'twas easy won
So he's hired an auld horse and he's hired an auld man
And he's sent her back hame tae Northumberland

When she gaed in her faither did frown
And said "O but yer love 'twas easy won
Tae gang wi' a Scotsman when yer barely fifteen
And ye were the Flower of Northumberland"

But when she gaed in her mother did smile
And said "O but yer love 'twas easy won
But ye're nor the first that the Scots has beguiled
And ye're welcome back hame tae Northumberland"

"Ye winnae want breid an ye winnae want wine
Although yer love 'twas easy won
An ye winnae want silver tae buy a man wi'
And ye're aye the Flower of Northumberland"

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Last 4 verses because they got lost in the copy over and I wasn't paying enough attention... Apologies.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: r.padgett
Date: 03 Oct 26 - 01:28 AM

"her lane" alone maybe?

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: Reinhard
Date: 03 Oct 26 - 02:23 AM

No, "her lane" is Scots for "by herself" and is used in other versions of the song.

(But the thread Scots words in Flower of Northumberland lists a version of "the song 'translated' into English" that translates lane verbatim into "The provost's own daughter was walking her way?" ...)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: GUEST,Lane R.
Date: 03 Oct 26 - 02:34 AM

I questioned that too. It seems it could be either.

According to Mainly Norfolk;
Sara Grey ver. "makin' her lane"
Dick Gaughan ver. "walkin her lane"
Ewan MacColl ver. "walking her lane,"
Jock Duncan ver. "walking alone,"
Jackie Oates ver. "walking aline,"
Stanley Robertson ver. "walkin her lane,"
The Spiers Family ver. "waakin her lain,"
Andrew Calhoun ver. "walking alone,"

So this kind of left me stumped. I THINK I'm hearing "er lane" in this particular version, but I do agree it could be "alaine/alone".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Flower of Northumberland (Exiles 1967)
From: Reinhard
Date: 03 Oct 26 - 05:11 AM

I do hear Gordon McCulloch singing "her lane". And he sings "flooer of Northumberland", as e.g. Jim Reid and Stanley Robertson do.