Ramblin' Rover
Red is the Rose
The Three Ravens
Mari's Wedding
The Red Head Song
The Shepherd
Sylvia the Fair
Anachie Gordon
The Chandler's Wife
Ramblin’ Rover – Andy M. Stewart
Chorus
There are sober men and plenty and drunkards barely twenty
There are men of over ninety who have never yet kissed a girl
But give me a ramblin’ rover, frae Orkney down to Dover
We will roam the country over and together we’ll face the world
There are many who feign enjoyment from merciless employment
There envision was this deployment from the minute they left the school
And they save and scrape and ponder while the rest go out and squander
See the world and rove and wander and we’re happier as a rule
Chorus
I have been through out our nation seen the light in all creation
I’ve enjoyed the wee sensation when the company did prove kind
And when partin’ was no pleasure, I drank another measure
With the good friends that we treasure for they always are in our minds
Chorus
When you’re bent up with arthritis, your bowels have got colitis
You’ve got gallopin’ bollacitis and you’re thinkin’ it’s time you die
If you’ve been a man of action, as you’re lyin’ there in traction
You can gain some satisfaction thinking “Jesus at least I’ve tried!”
Chorus
Come over the hill me bonny Irish lass
Come over the hill to your darlin’
You choose the road love and I’ll take the vow
And I’ll be your true love forever
Chorus
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows
Fair is the lily of the valley
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
And my love is fairer than any
Twas down in Killarney’s green wood that we strayed
Where the moon and the stars they were shining
The moon shone it’s rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she’d be my love forever
Chorus
‘Tis not for the parting of my dearest sister Kate
‘Tis not for the grief of me mother
‘Tis all for the loss of me bonny Irish lass
That my heart is grieving forever
Chorus
The Three Ravens – Traditional
There were three ravens sat in a tree, down a down hey down a down
And they were black as ere could be with a down
And one of them said to his make, where shall we our breakfast take
With a down, derry derry derry down, down
There is a knight in yonder field, down a down hey down a down
Lay freshly slain beneath his shield with a down
His hounds they lie down at his feet, so well their master can they keep
With a down, derry derry derry down, down
His hawks they fly so eagerly, down a down hey down a down
Will let no other fowl come him nigh, with a down
Yonder comes a fallow doe, as heavy with child as she might go
With a down, derry derry derry down, down
She’s lifted up his bloody head, down a down hey down a down
And kissed his wounds that were so red with a down
She’s lifted him up upon her back and carried him to an earthen lake
With a down, derry derry derry down, down
She’s buried him before the prime, down a down hey down a down
Was dead herself before evensong time with a down
God send every gentleman, such hawks such hounds and such a layman
With a down, derry derry derry down, down
Mari’s Wedding (The Lewis Bridal Song) – Traditional
Chorus
Step we gaily on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row on row all for Mari’s Wedding
Over hillways up and down, myrtle green and bracken brown
Past the sheiling through the town all for sake of Mari
Chorus
Plenty herring plenty meal, plenty peat to fill her creel
Plenty bonny bairns as weel, that’s my toast for Mari
Chorus
Cheeks as red as rowans are, brighter far than any star
Fairest of them all by far is my darlin’ Mari
Chorus
My Love is Like a Red Red Rose – Robert Burns
My love is like a red red rose that’s newly sprung in June
My love is like a sweet melody that’s sweetly played in tune
As fair art thou my bonny lass, so deep in love am I
And I will love you still my dear til all the seas gang dry
Til all the seas gang dry my dear and the rocks melt with the sun
And I will love you still my dear while the sands o’ life shall run
And faire thee well my only love and faire thee well awhile
For I shall come again my love though it were ten thousand mile.
The Red Head Song – Jacklyn Erickson
There were two fair young maids,
Two red headed lasses
Who admired in all men
Their cute little…Earlobes
Chorus
Oh red heads they say have all the luck
And it is said that they like to get…
Roses and daisies and tulips and posies
With red hair blazing like fire
No ordinary maids,
With men that they desire,
They like to get…Presents
Chorus
Their talents are refined,
Some say they are the best
They’ll make you lose your mind
When you squeeze them in the…Tavern
Chorus
They find that some young men
Are frightened away
Like timid little boys
Who seem like they are…Cowards
Chorus
We wrote this song for you
In hopes it would inspire
A lesson to be learned
It’s fun to play with fire
A shepherd sat ‘neath a tree one day
And as the shadows grew more long
Took out his pipe and began to play
And sweet and merry, was his song
A comely damsel from the town
With basket made of woven straw
Came gathering rushes on the down
And boldly smiled when she him saw
The shepherd’s pipe did gaily sound
As tempting on her back she lay
And when his quivering note she found
How sweetly then this lass could play
She ne’er so much as blushed at all
So sweetly played her shepherd swain
And ere anon to him she’d call
To play her another double strain
She said, “I ne’er was so pleased before
And this is the first time that I knew thee
Come play me this very tune once more
And never doubt that I’ll dance to thee.”
The shepherd he said, “As I am a man,
I have kept playing from sun til moon,
Thou knowest I can do no more than I can
My pipe is clearly out of tune.”
“To ruin a shepherd I’ll not seek”
She said as she kissed him ‘neath the tree
“I’ll come again to the down next week
And thou shalt pipe, and I’ll come to thee.”
Sylvia the Fair – Traditional
Sylvia the Fair, at the age of sixteen
Felt an innocent warmth as she lay on the green
She’d heard of a pleasure, and something she guessed
By the towsing and tossing and touching her breast
She saw the men eager, but was at a loss
What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close
By their praying and whining and dancing and twining
And prancing and wishing and sighing and kissing
And sighing and kissing so close
“Ah” she cried, “ah, for a languishing maid
In a country of Christians to die without aid
Not a whig, nor a tory, nor triber at least
A protestant parson or catholic priest
To instruct a poor virgin, who is at a loss
What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close
By their praying and whining and dancing and twining
And prancing and wishing and sighing and kissing
And sighing and kissing so close
Cupid in shape of a swain did appear
He saw the sad wound and in pity drew near
Then he showed her his arrow and bid her not fear
For the pain was no more than a maiden could bear
When the balm was infused, she was not at a loss
What they meant by their sighing and kissing so close
By their praying and whining and dancing and twining
And prancing and wishing and sighing and kissing
And sighing and kissing so close
“Harking is bonny, and there in lies my love
My heart lies on him and will not remove
It will not remove, ah for all that I have done
Oh I never will forget him, me love Anachie
For Anachie Gordon, he’s bonny and he’s rough
He’d entice any woman that ever he saw
He’d entice any woman, and so he has done me
Oh I never will forget him, me love, Anachie.”
Down came her father and he’s standing by the door
Saying “Jeanie you’re trying the tricks of a whore.
You care nothing for a man who cares so very much for thee
You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Anachie
For Anachie Gordon, he’s barely but a man
And although he may be pretty, where are his lands
Lord Sultan’s lands are broad, his towers they run high
You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Anachie.”
“With Anachie Gordon, I’ll beg for my bread
And before I’ll marry Sultan, it’s gold to my head
With gold to my head and gowns fringed to my knee
Oh I’ll die if I don’t get me love Anachie.
And you that are my parents to church you may me bring
But unto Lord Sultan I’ll never bear a son
To a son or a daughter I’ll never bow my knee
Oh I’ll die if I don’t get me love Anachie.”
Jeanie was married and from church she was brought home
And when she and her maidens so merry should have been
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
She goes into her chambers, she cries all alone.
“Come to bed now Jeanie, me honey and my sweet
For to style you my mistress, it would be so sweet.”
“Be it mistress or Jeanie, it matters not to me
For in your bed Lord Sultan I never will lie”
And down came her father, he’s spoken with renown
Saying, “You that are her maidens, come loosen up her gown!”
But she fell down to the floor, so close down by his knee
Saying, “Father, look, I’m dying for me love, Anachie.”
The day that Jeanie wed was the day that Jeanie died,
And the day that young Anachie came in on the tide
And down came her maidens all wringing of their hands
Saying, “Oh you’ve been so long, so long on the sands
So long on the sands, so long out on the flood
They have married your Jeanie and now she lies dead.”
“You who are her maidens, come take me by the hand
And take me to the chamber me love, she lies in.”
And he’s kissed her cold lips ‘til his heart has turned to stone
And he’s died in the chamber his love she lies in.
The Chandler’s Wife - Traditional
A lad walked into the chandler’s shop, some candles for to buy
He looked around the chandler’s shop but no one did he spy
Well he was disappointed so some angry words he said
When he heard the sound of a knock knock knock
Right above his head
Yes he heard the sound of a knock knock knock
Right above his head
Well he was quick and he was slick so up the stairs he sped
And very surprised was he to find the chandler’s wife in bed
And with her was another man of most considerable size
And they were having a knock knock knock
Right before his eyes
Yes they were having a knock knock knock
Right before his eyes
Now when the fun was over and done and the lady’d raised her head
Very surprised was she to find a man beside her bed
“If you will keep my secret sir. If you would be so kind
Then you to can come up for some knock knock knock
Whenever you feel inclined
Yes you to can come up for some knock knock knock
Whenever you feel inclined.
So many’s the night and many’s the day when the chandler wasn’t home
To get himself some candles to the chandler’s shop he’d roam
But nary a one she gave to him but gave to him instead
Just a little bit more of that knock knock knock
To light his way to bed,
Just a little bit more of that knock knock knock
To light his way to bed
Now all you married men take heed and listen to what I tell
If you won’t satisfy your wife she’ll find someone who will
So if you would be kind to her, just lay her out on the floor
And give her so much of that knock knock knock
She’ll come back to you for more
Just give her so much of that knock knock knock
She’ll come back to you for more
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