A contemporary take on the rare Jedburgh version of this well-known ballad. Traditional song – this version was collected from Thomas Shortreed of Jedburgh from his mother’s singing and published in 1818 in Albyn’s Anthology by Alexander Campbell.
As I cam by yon auld house end
I saw twa corbies sitting thereon
The tane tae the tither did say
Whaur sall we gae dine the day
Whaur by, by yon new fa’en birk
There, there lies a new slain knight
An mortal kens that he lies there
But his hawks an hounds an layde fair
We’ll sit on his bonnie great bane
We’ll pick oot his bonnie grey in
We’ll set oor claws intil his yella hair
An bigg oor bower, it’s aa blawn bare
Ma mither clekit me o an egg
An brocht me up i the feather grey
An bad me flee where ere I wad
For winter wad be ma dyin day
Nou winter it is cam an past
An aa the birds are biggin their nests
But I’ll flee high aboon them aa
An sing a sang o summer’s sake
Arranged by Lori Watson and Duncan Lyall
Vocals by Lori Watson
Programming by Duncan Lyall
Produced, mixed and mastered by Duncan Lyall at Red Deer Recording