Killiecrankie

Robert Burns

Whaur hae ye been sae braw lad?
Whaur hae ye been sae brankie-o?
Whaur hae ye been sae braw lad?
Cam’ ye by Killiecrankie-o?

And ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
And ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

I fought at land, I fought at sea
At hame I fought my auntie-o
But I met the Devil, and Dundee
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

And ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
And ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

The bold Pitcur fell wi’ a fur
And Clavers gat a clankie-o
And I had fed an Atholl gled
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

And ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
And ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

Oh fie, McKay, what gart ye lie
In the bush ayont the brankie-o?
Ye’d better kissed King Willie’s loof
Than come by Killiecrankie-o

And ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
And ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

There’s nae shame, there’s nae shame
There’s nae shame tae swankie-o
There’s soor slaes on Atholl’s braes
And the De’il’s at Killiecrankie-o

And ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
And ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o’ Killiecrankie-o

Refers to a battle in 1689, where winner, Graham of Claverhouse (Bonnie Dundee) was slain, ending Jacobite hopes. Printed in Buchan and Hall’s The Scottish Folksinger.