The version that begins with the line "Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad?" (Roud 8187) is the one discussed here. The versions that begin with the line "Clavers and his highland men" are either the Scots version (Roud 8188) or the USA version (Roud 2572). Finally there is another Scots version, that begins with the line "On a thistle I sat doon" (Roud 3363).
The Battle of Killiecrankie was fought in 1689, as part of the Jacobite rebellion. James Hogg made a collection of songs relating to the battles and campaigns. It was published as Jacobite Reliques in 1819. He lists this song simply as "Killiecrankie" (number 19 on page 32).
The first three verses and the chorus were written by Robert Burns and set to an older melody. Hogg may have had a hand in writing the additional verses.
Tune
Lyrics
James Hogg version Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad? Whare hae ye been sae brankie, O? Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad? Came ye by Killicrankie, O?
—Chorus —An ye had been whare I hae been, —Ye wadna been sae cantie, O; —An ye had seen what I hae seen, —I' the braes o' Killicrankie, O.
I faught at land, I faught at sea, At hame I faught my auntie, O; But I met the devil and Dundee On the braes o' Killicrankie, O.
—(Chorus)
The bauld Pitcur fell in a furr, And Clavers got a clankie, O, Or I had fed an Athol gled On the braes o' Killicrankie, O.
—(Chorus)
O fie, Mackay, what gart ye lie I' the bush ayont the brankie, O? Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loof, Than come to Killicrankie, O.
It's nae shame, it's nae shame, It's nae shame to shank ye, O; There's sour slaes on Athol braes, And deils at Killicrankie, O.
Notable recordings
Scotland's Big Country recorded a version with rousing guitar.
A 1966 recording by The Corries was a pioneering use of the music video.
Recorded by Jean Redpath on The Songs of Robert Burns, volumes 5 and 6
Marc Gunn recorded it on his first solo album in 2004, Soul of a Harper.
Recorded by Jim Malcolm (formerly of the Old Blind Dogs) on Acquaintance.
Scottish group Broadsword, consisting of Ian Jaconelli and Paul Kelly, included it on their self-titled album.
The McCalmans on The Scottish Songs album.
Recorded by Scottish folk singer Bob Stewart on the Rooted in Folk album.
Recorded by The Jacobites by Name on their 2016 self titled debut album.
Recorded by Scottish-American folk singer Alex Beaton on his album "20 Hits of Scotland"(1990).
Related Research Articles
Jacobite Relics is a two volume collection of songs related to the Jacobite risings, compiled by the Scottish poet and novelist James Hogg on commission from the Highland Society of London in 1817. Most of the songs in the collection are Jacobite, and a minority are Whig. A number of the songs were written or adapted by Robert Burns and scholars speculate as to how many of them were authored or at least substantially altered by Hogg himself.
"The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th-century Scottish song recalling the journey of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye as he evaded capture by government troops after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
"The Bonnie Earl o' Moray" is a popular Scottish ballad, which may date from as early as the 17th century.
"Highland Laddie", also known as "Hielan' Laddie", is the name of a Scottish popular folk tune "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play", but as with many old melodies various sets of words can be sung to it, of which Robert Burns's poem "Highland Laddie" is probably the best known. "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play" has been reworked several times since Burns set down his words, Donkey Riding being one variant.
"Aiken Drum" is a popular Scottish folk song and nursery rhyme, which probably has its origins in a Jacobite song about the Battle of Sheriffmuir (1715).
Peat Fire Flame is an album recorded in 1977 by The Corries, a Scottish folk group. The combolin is heard to advantage on "Come By the Hills". Williamson and Ronnie Browne are heard on the vocals. There is multi-tracking to include both men on guitars, Northumbrian pipes, harmonicas, whistles, flutes, concertina, mandolins, boranns, fiddle and combolins. The last four tracks are designed to be heard as one continuous track. Running time: 38 minutes 13 seconds.
Killiecrankie (; is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland on the River Garry. It lies at the Pass of Killiecrankie, by the A9 road which has been bypassed since 1986. The village is home to a power station forming part of the Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. Much of the riverbank is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The nearby 10 arch railway viaduct, which runs for 109 yards along the north-east bank of the River Garry, was built in 1863 from a design by Joseph Mitchell.
"The Hundred Pipers" is a Scottish song and jig attributed to Carolina Nairne, Lady Nairne and popularised from 1852 onwards. It takes as its themes events during and after the Jacobite Rising of 1745.
The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie is a Scottish folk song about a thwarted romance between a soldier and a girl. Like many folk songs, the authorship is unattributed, there is no strict version of the lyrics, and it is often referred to by its opening line "There once was a troop o' Irish dragoons". The song is also known by a variety of other names, the most common of them being "Peggy-O", "Fennario", and "The Maid of Fife".
The Farmer's Curst Wife is a traditional English language folk song listed as Child ballad number 278 and number 160 in the Roud Folk Song Index.
The Promise of the Day is a music album by the band The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell. The album was produced in 1965.
"Our Goodman" is a Scottish and English humorous folk song. It describes the efforts of an unfaithful wife to explain away the evidence of her infidelity. A version of the song, "Seven Drunken Nights", was a hit record for The Dubliners in the 1960s.
"The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or "Loch Lomond" for short, is a Scottish song. The song prominently features Loch Lomond, the largest Scottish loch, located between the council areas of West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and Argyll and Bute. In Scots, "bonnie" means "attractive", "beloved", or "dear".
Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie, is a Scottish folk song.
"Ye Jacobites by Name" is a traditional Scottish folk song which goes back to the Jacobite risings in Scotland (1688–1746). While the original version simply attacked the Jacobites from a contemporaneous Whig point of view, Robert Burns rewrote it in around 1791 to give a version with a more general, humanist anti-war, but nonetheless anti-Jacobite outlook. This is the version that most people know today.
The (Bonnie) Rantin' Laddie or Lord Aboyne is a traditional Scottish folk ballad telling of the valiant rescue of his lover by a noble Highland lord.
"The Lochmaben Harper" or "The Blind Harper" is a traditional British Folk ballad and is one of the ballads collected by Francis Child in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882–1898).
"Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation" is a Scottish folk song whose lyrics are taken from a poem written by Robert Burns in 1791, listed as number 5516 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It has continued to be associated with Scottish nationalism and also been referenced in other situations where politicians' actions have gone against popular opinion.
Legacy of the Scottish Harpers is a folk album released in 1986 by Robin Williamson.
Cam ye o'er frae France? is a Scots folk song from the time of the Jacobite rebellions of the 18th century. It satirises the marital problems of the Hanoverian George I.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
