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Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)

from Blood & Roses Volume 4 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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Professor Child, rashly in our opinion, rejects the historical basis of the events dealt with in the text of this fine ballad. In view of the alliance which once existed between Scotland and Norway, there are good grounds for accepting the ballad's historicity.

lyrics

The king sits in Dunfermline toon
A-drinkin' at the wine,
And he has ca'd for the strangest skipper
In Fife and a' the land.

Then oot and spak' an auld carle
Stood by the king's ain knee:
Patrick Spens is the strangest sailer
That ever sailed the sea.

The king has screivit a long letter
And signed it wi' 's ain hand;
And sent it to young Patrick Spens,
Was walking on Leith Sands.

To Norrowa', to Narrowa'
To Norrowa' ower the faem;
The king's dochter o' Norrowa'
'Tis ye maun bring her hame.

When first he lookit the letter on,
A muckle laugh gied he;
But ere he'd done the readin' o't
The saut tear blint his e'e.

To Norrowa', to Norrowa'
To Norrowa' ower the faem;
The king's dochter o' Norrowa'
'Tis I maun bring her hame.

They hadnae been in Norrowa'
A week but barely, three,
When a' the lords o' Norrowa'
Did up and spak' sae free.

These ootland Scots waste oor king's gowd
And swallow oor queen's fee.
Weary fa' the tongue that spak'
Sic a muckle lee.

Tak tent, tak tent, my good men a'
And see ye be weal forn,
For come it wind or come it hail,
Oor guid ship sails the morn.

Then oot and spak' the weatherman,
I fear we'll a' be drooned,
For I saw the new moon late yestreen
With the auld moon in her airms.

They hadnae sailed a league. a league,
A league but barely three,
When the lift grew laich and the wind blew haich
And the ship it was a wreck.

O, whaur will I get a bonnie boy
To tak' my steer in hand?
While I climb up the high topmast
To see if I can spy land,

O laith, laith were oar guid Scots lords
To wet their cork-heeled shoon,
But lang ere all the ploy was done.
They wet their hats abune.

O, lang, lang will our ladies sit
Wi' their gowd kaims in their hands
Before they see young Patrick Spens
Come walkin' on Leith Sands.

Half ower, half ower by Aberdour
Whaur the sea's sae wide and deep,
It's there it lies young Patrick Spens
Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 4, released April 12, 1986
Ewan MacColl - vocals

Produced by Calum MacColl
Engineered by Nigel Cazaly

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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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