By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Chorus
'Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen,
O braw Charlie Stewart, dear true, true heart,
There the wild flowers spring and the wee birdies sing, |
Background: two of Bonnie Prince Charlie's men were captured and left behind in Carlisle after the failed rising of 1745. One young soldier was to be executed, the other released. The Spirit of the dead soldier travelling by the 'low road' would reach Scotland before his comrade, who would be struggling along the actual road over high, rugged country.