English & Other 226. Lizie Lindsay
CONTENTS:
upcoming
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Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland edited by Robert Ford (1904 edition)
LEEZIE LINDSAY.
"Will ye gang wi' me, Leezie Lindsay?
Will ye gang to the Hielands wi' me?
Will ye gang wi' me, Leezie Lindsay,
My bride and my darling to be?"
"To gang to the Hielands wi' you, sir,
I dinna ken how that may be;
For I ken na the land that ye live in,
Nor ken I the lad I'm gaun wi'."
"O Leezie, lass, ye maun ken little,
If sae be ye dinna ken me;
My name is Lord Ronald Macdonald,
A chieftain o' high degree."
She has kilted her coats o' green satin,
She has kilted them up to her knee;
And she's aff wi' Lord Ronald Macdonald,
His bride and his darling to be.
At least seven different versions of this ballad, some of them extending to great length, have been printed, but the few simple anil direct verses given here are all that have generally been sung. Burns sent the first verse, in slightly different form, with its air, to Johnson, and Robert Allan of Kilbarchan has been credited with the other three. The lady, according to a tradition of the Mearns, was a daughter of Lindsay of Edzell ; but Kinloch, the antiquarian, says he searched in vain for any confirmation of the story. John Wilson, the famous vocalist, sang the piece into universal knowledge. Few airs are better known.
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Lyr Add: LIZZIE LINSEY
From: GUEST,Eleanor_of_Aquitaine - PM
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 01:57 PM
My grandmother sang a form of Lizzie Linsey I have not seen on any of these sites. Her family name was Cowgill and they came from the Borders. It's the only version I have ever heard where the handmaiden goes instead of Lizzie. The Macdonalds were indeed the lords of the Isles. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a Sir Robert who held them.
LIZZIE LINSEY
Will ye gang tae the Hielands, Lizzie Linsey, wi' me?
Will ye gang tae the Hielands wi' me?,
Will ye gang tae the Hielands, Lizzie Linsey,
Me bride and me darlen' tae be?
Tae gang tae the Hielands wi' you, Sir Robin,
I dinna ken how that may be.
Nor ken I the land that ye live in,
Nor ken I the son I gang bree.
Then up spake Lizzie's handmaiden,
And a bonnie young lassie t'was she,
Said, "Had I but a mark in me pocket,
Your dochter I'd gladly rea'."
She hae kilted her coat of green satin,
She hae kilted it up tae her knee,
She hae gang tae the hielands wi'Donald,
His bride and his darlen' tae be.
He hae led her atop a hie mountain,
And hae made her look oot o'er the sea;
"These isles are Sir Robert Macdonald's,
And his bride and his darlen' are ye."
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Lyr Add: LIZZIE LINDSAY
From: Teribus - PM
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 09:17 AM
Years ago, when I learned this song the name was Donald Clanranald (Clanranald, being the senior sept of the MacDonalds)
The Mac Donalds of Clanranald take their name from Ranald, younger son of John, 1st Lord of the Isles. In 1373 he received a grant of the North Isles and other lands, and from him are descended the families of Moidart, Morar, Knoidart and Glengarry.
The song as I was taught is as folows:
LIZZIE LINDSAY
Chorus:
Will ye gang tae the heelands Lizzie Lindsay
Will ye gang tae the heelands wi' me
Will ye gang tae the heelands Lizzie Lindsay
My bride and my darling to be.
To gang to the heelands wi' you sir
Would bring the salt tear tae ma ee
At leavin' the green fields and woodlands
And streams of my ain country.
I'll show you the red deer a roaming
On mountains where stands the tall pine
And as far as the bound o' the red deer
Hill moorland and mountain is mine.
Chorus
Tae gang tae the heelands wi' you Sir,
Such a thing it never can be
For I know not the land that ye come from
Or even the name ye gang be
By what ye say Lass ye ken little
When ye say that ye dinnae ken me
For my name it is Donald Clanranald
I'm a Cheiftan o' High Degree
A thousand Claymores I can muster
Hilt, blade, and its bearer the same
When around their chieftain they rally
The Lord of the Isles is my name.
Chorus
She's kilted her gown o' fine satin
And pettycoats over her knee
And she's gone wi her Donald Clanranald
His Bride and his Darlin' tae be.
There's dancing and joy in the Sheilin
There's piping and gladness and glee
For oor Chieftan's brought hame Lizzie Lindsay
His bride and his darling to be.
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Robert Allan who lived from 1774 to 1841
"Will ye gang tae the Heilands, Leezie Lindsay?
Will ye gang tae the Heilands wi' me?
Will ye gang tae the Heilands, Leezie Lindsay,
My bride and my darling tae be?"
"To gang to the Heilands wi' you, Sir,
I dinna ken how that may be,
For I ken nae the road I am gaeing,
Nor yet wha I'm gaun wi'."
"O, Leezie, lass, ye maun ken little,
Syne ye dinna ken me;
For I am Lord Ronald MacDonald,
A Chieftain o' high degree."
"Oh, if ye're the Laird of MacDonald,
A great ane I ken ye maun be;
But how can a chieftain sae mighty
Think o' a puir lassie like me?"
She has gotten a gown o' green satin.
She has kilted them up tae her knee,
And she's aff wi' Lord Ronald MacDonald,
His bride and his darling tae be.
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