Dick Gaughan's Website

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Banks Of Green Willow
(Trad)

Song Lyric as sung by Dick Gaughan

Thair wis a rich mairchant
At lived in Strath Denny
An he had bit ae dochter
An her name it wis Annie

An thair wis a rich mairchant
An he lived in Dunbarton
An he has got this bonnie lassie
Big, big wi bairnie

"O ye'll tak ship wi me
An ye'll be ma hinnie
Whit mair cud a wumman dae
Than A will dae for ye?"

Bit thae hadnae been sailin
A week bit scarcely ony
Afore she needit weemin
Bit thair werenae ony

"O captain, tak gowd
An captain, tak money
An steer for dry laun
For the sake o ma bairnie"

"Hou can A tak gowd
An hou can A tak money
Whan thair's fey fowk on ma ship
An she winnae steer for me?"

"Ye'll tak me by the fingers
An lift me up houlie
An cast me owerboard
An hae nae pity on me"

He's taen her by the fingers
An lifted her up houlie
An thrown her owerboard
Tho she wis his ain dearie

See hou she swims
An see hou she swaggers
She'll never leave aff swimmin
Till she comes tae some harbour

His luve she wis thair
Whan thae come tae the dry laun
An her lyin deid
On the cauld sea strand

Her bairnie wis born
An lyin at her feet
For the loss o his bonnie luve
Sair, sair did he greet

He's caused mak a kist
O the gowden sae yellow
An thae aa three lie sleepin
On the banks o green willow

Song Notes

Help with language and pronunciation in the General Guide to Scots

Recorded by Dick Gaughan

Kist O Gold (1976)

Also recorded by

 

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Related pages on this site

Related pages on other sites

The following links are to other websites and I am not responsible for what you might find there. Sites do change without warning and it is impossible for me to keep checking that links go where they should.

Song Archive

Lyrics and music for songs sung by Dick Gaughan

Gaughan Website
Song Archive
Song Index B
Banks Of Green Willow