Mormond Braes

On Springthyme SPRCD 1039
Jock Duncan - Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan!

This was one of Gavin Greig's early favourite songs. He first came across the song around 1895 and included it in his serial story Logie o Buchan. It was then printed in Ford's Vagabond Songs (in 1899) and Greig gave it pride of place in the first of his weekly articles in the Buchan Observer in December 1907, a series that eventually extended to 180 weekly articles containing numerous versions of over a thousand North East songs and ballads (FSNE 1; GD 1142).

Brian McNeill - concertina; Pete Shepheard - melodeon

1: As I gaed doun by Strichen toun I heard a fair maid mournin, She wis makin sair complaint On her true love ne'er returnin. It's Mormond Braes where heather grows, Whaur oft times I've been cheery, It's Mormond Braes whaur heather grows, And it's there I've lost ma dearie. Sae fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, Whaur oft times I've been cheery, Fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, And its there I've lost ma dearie. 2: Sae I'll pit on ma goun o green, It's a forsaken token, An that will let the young men know That the bands of love are broken. There's mony a horse has snappert and fa'en [i.e. tripped and fallen And risen and gane fu rarely, There's mony a lass has lost her lad, And gotten anither richt early. Sae fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, Whaur oft times I've been cheery, Fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, And its there I've lost ma dearie. 3: There's as mony fish intae the sea, As ever yet was taken, I'll cast ma line an try again, I'm only eence forsaken. Sae I'll gyang doun by Strichen toun, Whaur I wis bred an born, And there I'll get anither sweethert, Will mairry me the morn. Sae fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, Whaur oft times I've been cheery, Fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes, And its there I've lost ma dearie.