Four-and-twenty highland men
Come from the carron side
To carry away eppy moray for
She would not be a bride, a bride,
She would not be a bride.
Then out it came her mither for
It was a moonlit night,
She couldnt see her daughter for
The moon it shone so bright, so bright
The moon it shone so bright.
Hold away from me, mither,
Hold away from me!
Theres not a man in all strathdon
Should married be with me, with me,
Should married be with me.
Theyve taken eppy moray,
And a horse theyve bound her on,
And they had rid to the ministers house
As fast as horse could run, could run,
As fast as horse could run.
[ then willie hes taken his pistol out
And set it to the ministers breast,
O marry me, marry me, minister,
Or else Ill be your priest, your priest
Or else Ill be your priest.
Hold away from me, willie,
Hold away from me,
I not avow to marry you
Except shes willing as thee, as thee,
Except shes willing as thee.
Theyve taken eppy moray then,
Shed better could not be,
And they have rid over carron side
As fast as horse could flee, could flee,
As fast as horse could flee.
Then mass was sung and bells were rung
And theyre away to bed,
And willie and eppy moray,
In ane bed they were laid, were laid
In ane bed they were laid. ]
Hes taken the sack from off his back
And kicked away his shoes,
And thrown away the chamber key,
And naked hes lay down, lay down
And naked hes lay down.
Hold away from me, willie,
Hold away from me,
Before I lose my maidenhead
Ill try my strength with thee, with thee.
Ill try my strength with thee.
Hes kissed her on the lily breast
And held her shoulders twa
But aye she grat and aye she spat
And turned to the wall, the wall,
And turned to the wall.
All through the night they wrestled there
Until the light of day,
And willie grat and willie swat
But he could not stretch her spey, her spey
He could not stretch her spey.
Weary fa you, willie, then,
For you could not prove a man,
For if you gained her maidenheid,
She would have held your hand, your hand,
She would have held your hand.
Go away from me, lady,
Go away from me!
Theres not a man in all strathdon
Shall married be with me, with me,
Shall married be with me.
Go fetch me a horse,
And fetch it like a man,
And send me back to my mither
A maiden as I came, I came
A maiden as I came.
