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The Laird O’ Drum (Child 236)

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

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The heroine of this spirited tale is not only bonnie, she also possesses an independent mind and a fair stock of wit - and though she is "of low degree' she is more than a match for the laird himself. As an unmarried girl, she has served as maid-of-all-work on her father's farm, but she puts an end to that state of affairs on her wedding night when she informs her lordly spouse that marriage has made her his equal and not his servant. The tale is beautifully told in a series of witty dialogues.

lyrics

The laird o' Drum's to the huntin' gane
A' in the mornin' early,
And there he met wi' a weel-faur'd maid
A-shearin' her faither's barley.

O, could ye fancy me, fair maid.
And would ye marry me, O?
And would ye be the Lady o' Drum
And let your shearin' be, O?

O, I couldnae fancy you, kind sir,
Or let my shearin' be, O.
For I'm no' a lady o' high degree
And your miss I would scorn to be, O.

My faither he's a shepherd man,
Keeps sheep on yonder hill. O;
And ilka work he bids me dae
I'm always at his will, O,

Then he has to her faither gene,
With his sheep on yonder hill, O;
I've come tae ask for your dochter's hand
If ye'll gie me your good will, O.

My dochter can neither read nor write,
She was never at the school, O.
But she can milk baith cows and ewes,
For the work she has the will, O.

She'll work in your barn, she'll winnow your corn,
She'll gang to byre or mill, O.
In time o' need, she'll saddle your steed
And draw your boots hersel', O.

I'll learn the lass to read and write,
I'll pit her to the school, O;
And she'll never need to saddle my steed,
Nor draw my boots hersel', O.

There were four-and-twenty gentlemen
Stood at the yetts o' Drum, O;
And ne'er a yin pit his hand tae his hat
To welcome the lady in, O

He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand
And led her but and ben, O;
Ye're welcome hame, my Lady o' Drum,
For a' this is your ain-, O.
i
Then up and spak his ae brither
And sair pit oot was he, O;
Ye've marriet a wife o' low degree,
A disgrace to thee and me, O.

Then oot and spak the Laird o' Drum,
I hae done ye nae wrang, O;
I've gotten a wife to work-and win,
And you've got yin to spend, O.

The firsten wife that I did wed,
She was far abune my degree, O.
And I dursna gang in the room she was in
But my bonnet was by my knee, O.

The firsten wife that I did wed,
She lookit doon on me, O;
And she wadna hae walked to the yetts o' Drum
But the pearlins were at her bree, O

Yet four-and-twenty gentlemen
Stood at the yetts o' Drum, O,
And there wasna yin amang them a'
Would welcome Peggy in, O.

Then thrice he kissed her cherry cheek,
And thrice her cherry chin, O.
And twenty times her comely mou',
Says, Ye're welcome, Lady Drum, O.

When they had eaten and drunken weel,
And they were bound for bed, O.
The Laird o' Drum and the shepherd's dochter
In ane bed they were laid, O.

It's ye shall be my kitchen cook,
And the butler in my ha', O.
And you'll saddle my steed when I hae need
To hunt and ride awe', O.

I tell't ye weal ere we were wed
Ye were far abune my degree, O;
But noo I'm wed and in your bed,
I'd scorn to carry your keys, O.

I tell't ye weel ere we were wed,
You were far too high for me, O.
But noo I'm wed and in your bed,
I'm just as good as thee, O.

When I am deid and you are deid
And both o' us in ane grave, O;
They would need to see wi' very clear een
To tell your bould free mine, O.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 4, released April 12, 1986
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - banjo
Neill MacColl - mandolin

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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