JOCK O' THE SIDE



Now Liddesdale has ridden a raid

He'd hae done better to bide at hame

For Michael o' Whinfield, he is deid

And Jock o' the Side is prisoner ta'en

And Jock o' the Side is prisoner ta'en



His mither's awa' by the waterside

She's kilted her kirtle abune her knee

And when she's cam' tae Mangerton

The tears were rinnin' doon frae her e'e (2x)



"Whit news, whit news?" the Laird he cried

"Oh whit's the news ye brocht tae me?"

"The news is ill my brither dear

For Michael is deid and they've ta'en my Johnnie"



"Oh never ye fear, my sister dear

For I hae cows and ewes fu' many

My barns and byres are all well filled

And I'll gie them all tae save our Johnnie



"There's three o' my men will ride the nicht

A' harnessed wi' Toledo steel

The English dogs will rue the day

They'll aye remember our Johnnie well"



"The Laird's Jock, ane, and the Laird's Wat, twa

And Hobbie Noble the third will be

Thy coat is blue but ye hae been true

Since England banished thee tae me



"Noo Jock, my man, hear whit I say

Ye'll shoe your horses the wrong way roond

And it's no like gentry ye will ride

But gang like beggars upon the ground



"Ye will nae show your Spanish blades

But cover them a' wi' beggin' weeds

And ye will gang like country loons

And ride barebacked upon your steeds"



And when they came tae Newcastle toon

Hock cried, "The gates we maun ding doon

But the porter he stood on the wall sae high

And cried, "Ye canna come in the toon"



Jock's lowpit doon frae his horse's back

And wrung the keeper's neck in twa

They've ta'en his life and they've ta'en his keys

And cast his body ahint the wa'



And when they cam' tae Newcastle jail

Unto the prisoner they did ca'

"Sleep ye or wake ye, Jock o' the Side

We've come tae fetch ye ower the wa'"



"Oh what is it there that speaks sae big?

To Jock o' the Side who lies in chains

I sleep saft and I wake oft

And I doubt that I'll ever be free again



Fifteen stane o' iron chain

And bolted bars they've laid on me

Tho' all Liddesdale were here the nicht

I fear they niver could set me free"



"Oh, hold your tongue noo, Jock o' the Side

We need nae mair but just us three

Ye'll work within and we'll work without

For we hae promised to set ye free"



The firsten door that they cam' tae

They opened the lock without the key

And Hobbie he kicked the next door doon

Says, "come awa' Jock, It's time tae leave"



The laird's Jock broke the iron bands

And Jock o' the Side on his back he's ta'en

And he's gane lowpin' doon the stairs

Wi' Jock o' the Side and the iron chain



Now hobbie, he said tae the laird's own Jock

"Some o' the weight ye may lay on me"

"Ye need not bother yersel', " says Jock

"I count him as licht as a bumblebee"



Then oot o' Newcastle they a' did ride

Jock o' the Side and his kinsmen three

And they're awa' through the broken yetts

Rantin' an' singin' sae wantonly



"Oh Jock, ye ride sae winsomely

Wi' baith yer feet hangin on ae side

Your chains they ring like wedding bells

Oh Jock, my man, ye're a bonnie bride"



And when they cam' tae the riverside

The water o' Tyne ran like the sea

And the laird's saft Wat, he roared and grat

"We'll a' be drooned and I'm feared to dee"



"Come fire or flood," says the laird's ain Jock

"There's nae man dees before his time"

And he's led them into the roaring flood

And they hae crossed the water o' Tyne



They scarce had won tae the northern side

When they heard the cries o' men behind

And they mocked and fleered at the English loons

Wha darena cross the water o' Tyne



The sergeant o' the English troop

Says, "Tak' yer man, let him gang free

Tak' yer man tae Liddesdale

But leave his fetter, I pray, tae me"



"C'wa' wi' that," says the laird's ain Jock

"Shoon for my gud grey mare, they'll be

She carried them o'er the water o' Tyne

And I'm sure she's bought them dear fae thee"



Then they ha' rid tae Liddesdale

Just as fast as they could ride

And when they cam' tae Liddesdale

They cast the chains frae Jock o' the Side



They filled a bowl wi' the gud red wine

And after that, they filled anither

And aye the toasts hirled roond and roond

Just as if they had been brither and brither



@Scots @border @ballad @outlaw

Child #187

recorded by Ewan MacColl

filename[ JOCKSIDE

SF

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