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Eppie Morrie (Child 223)

from Blood & Roses Volume 3 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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about

Songs about bride-stealing are very rare, although the practice was once very popular in Scotland. Maidment (North Countrie Garland, 1824) proposed that the balled must have been pre-1710 and probably much older than that. Little is known of the source and although it still seems to survive occasionally in the oral tradition, it has not been reported in print since Child. I learned the ait and most of the verses from my father, William Miller.

lyrics

Four-and-twenty Hielan' men
Cam' frae the Carron Side,
To steal awa' Eppie Morrie
For she wadna be a bride, a bride,
She wadna be a bride.

Then oot it's cam' her mither then,
It was a moonlicht nicht,
She couldnae see her dochter
For the water shine sae bricht, sae bricht,
The water shine sae bricht.

Haud awa' frae me, mither,
Haud awa' frae me!
There's no' a man in a' Strathdon
Shall wedded be with me, with me,
Shall wedded be with me.

They've taken Eppie Morrie, then,
And a horse they've bound her on,
And they hae rid to the minister's hoose
As fast as horse could gang, could gang,
As fast as horse could gang.

Then Willie's ta'en his pistol oot
And set it to the minister's breist,
O marry me, marry me, minister,
Or else I'll be your priest, your priest,
Or else I'll be your priest.

Haud awa' fae me, Willie,
Haud awa' fae me!
I daurna avow to marry you
Except she's willin' as thee, as thee,
Except she's willin' as thee.

Haud awa' frae me, good sir,
Haud awa' frae me!
There's no a man in a' Strathdon
Shall marrièd be by me, by me,
Shall marrièd be by me.

They've taken Eppie Morrie then,
Sin' better couldna be,
And they hae rid ower Carron Side
As fast as horse could flee, could flee,
As fast as horse could flee.

Then mass was sung and bells were rung
And the're awa' to bed,
And Willie and Eppie Morrie,
In ane bed they were laid, were laid,
In ane bed they were laid.

He's ta'en the sark from off his back
And kicked awa' his shoon,
And thrawn awa' the chaulmer key
And naked he lay doon, lay doon,
And naked he lay doon.

Haud awa' fae me, Willie,
Haud awa' fae me!
Before I'll lose my maidenheid,
I'll try my strength wi' thee, with thee,
I'll try my strength wi' thee.

He's kissed her on the lily breist
And held her shouthers twa,
Bye aye she grat and aye she spat
And turnèd tae the wa', the wa',
And turnèd tae the wa'.

Haud awa' fae me, Willie,
Haud awa' fae me!
Before I'll lose my maidenheid,
I'll fecht wi' you till day, till day,
I'll fecht wi' you till day.

A' through the nicht they warssled there
Until the licht o' day.
And Willie grat and Willie swat
But he couldna streitch her spey, her spey,
But he couldna streitch her spey.

Then early in the morning,
Before the licht o' day
In came the maid o' Scallater,
Wi' a goon and shirt alane, alane
Wi' a goon and shirt alane.

Get up, get up, young woman,
And drink the wine wi' me!
Ye micht hae ca'd me "maiden"
For I'm sure as hale as thee, as thee,
I'm sure as hale as thee.

Weary fo' you, Willie, then,
That ye couldna prove a man,
Ye micht hae ta'en her maidenheid,
She would hae hired your hand, your hand,
She would hae hired your hand.

Haud awa' fae me, lady,
Haud awa' fae me!
There's no a man in a' Strathdon
Shall wedded be with me, with me,
Shall wedded be with me.

Then in there cam young Breadalbane
Wi' a pistol on each side.
O, come awa', Eppie Morrie,
And I'll mak' you my bride, my bride,
And I'll mak' you my bride.

Gae get to me a horse, Willie,
Get it like a man,
And send me back to my mither
A maiden as I cam', I cam',
O a maiden as I cam'.

The sun shines over the westlin hills
By the lamplicht o' the moon,
O --- saddle your horse, young John Forsythe,
Just whistle and I'll come soon, some soon,
Just whistle and I'll come soon.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 3, released September 14, 1982
Ewan MacColl - vocals

Produced by Neill MacColl
Engineered by Nick Godwin
Recorded at Pathway Studios, London

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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