Welcome Royal Charlie

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The man that should our king hae been
He wore the Royal red and green
A bonnier lad ye never seen
Than our young Royal Charlie

When Charlie in the heilan’ sheil
Forgethered wi’ the Great Lochiel
Oh sic’ a kindness did prevail
‘Tween the Chief and Charlie

Charlie’s been too long awa’
And the eagle waits for the bugle’s call
But the spirit shines above us all
For the right belongs to Charlie

At Falkirk and Prestonpans
Supported by the heilan’ clans
He brak the Hanoverian bands
Did our young royal Charlie

But we darenae brew a peck o’ malt
But Geordie he maun ca’t a fault
And for our kale we scarce get salt
For want of Royal Charlie

Charlie’s been too long awa’
And the eagle waits for the bugle’s call
But the spirit shines above us all
For the right belongs to Charlie

Noo our Charlie’s gone awa’
A doited German rules us all
And we are forced against the law
For want of Royal Charlie

So Charlie come and lead the way
For others here now hold the sway
But every dog maun hae it’s day
So welcome Royal Charlie

Charlie’s been too long awa’
And the eagle waits for the bugle’s call
But the spirit shines above us all
For the right belongs to Charlie

The Jacobite army split up on its homeward retreat and a contingent passed through Glasgow, expecting to be supplied with shoes and victuals on the way. The story goes that the Chief Lochiel talked Charlie out of ransacking Glasgow after its people refused to supply his army. Contrary to what the song suggests, Charlie was not always a welcome visitor. If he had been, the result of the 1745 uprising might have been very different.