Steeleye Span - Montrose lyrics

When James the King ruled by sceptered crown
With bishops and pen from London town
And the sword could ne'er bring Scotland down
Where the cold North wind
Creeps through the dawn
At old Montrose on a winter's morn
The fourth Earl's only son was born

And he grew strong and he grew stern
Of books and knowledge he would learn
And so to Glasgow he must turn
For truth and valour he was named
For bowmanship he was acclaimed
And the silver arrow he did gain
First through France then to London town
This noble youth did proudly ride
With his good bow strapped in behind
Then his king's favour hе has sought
But slander brought it all to nought
To Scotland he sped back from court



But nеw king Charles, so ill advised
By Hamilton and Laud likewise
Scotland they betrayed by lies
With papacy and bad intent
A new prayer book to Scotland sent
To control the kirk was his intent

Paupers raged around Saint Giles
Against the king's churchmen
But Montrose spoke above them all
The people's love to win
So Jamie joined the Covenant
For war they did prepare
And he rode north to Huntly's house
But found no welcome there
So the gay red Gordon ribbons
Were chased around the land
Until at Inverurie Lord Huntly
Signed his hand

So Montrose rode to Aberdeen where
The Covenant held sway
To speak the king at Berwick
A truce was signed that day
But the grim Geneva Ministers put
Montrose in a cell
And there he thought to serve Scotland
And serve his king as well
Meanwhile down south in England
The civil war began
So Montrose rode to London town
To parley with the king
For a thousand men he pleaded
To save his fair Scotland
But he returned a general
Without a single man

The giant MacDonald Alastair with
Sixteen hundred men
From Ireland sailed to join Montrose
And plunder Campbell's glen
Montrose the small united force of
Gaelic men did lure
Against seven thousand covenant on
The field of Tippermuir

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

With stones and bows
The screaming clans put covenant to flight
That sabbath day at Tippermuir was
Such a bloody sight
Then marching north to Aberdeen where
Treasure could be found
The soldiers fought for bounty there while
James fought for the crown

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

His army now three thousand strong
He was resolved to go
To meet the Campbell in his lair
Through all the winter snow
King Campbell sailed from his castle strong
As Montrose' pipes drew near
No refuge from the lord on earth
No pity for Campbell's fear

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

With Campbell lands all wasted
Montrose was forced to guess
To fight Argyll or Lord Seaforth
On the road to Inverness
It came to pass that Campbell's might
Was smashed on Loch Eil's shore
And the terror of Clan Diarmaid will
Hold the glens no more

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

At Auldearn, Alford and Kilsyth
The royal standard shone
As Alexander he did reign and
He did reign alone
Then Montrose entered Glasgow with
Scotland at his feet
But the power could not be
Broken of the minister-elite

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

Soon the year of miracles
Like the slowly setting sun
Was melting now before his eyes
All he could do was done
AtPphiliphaugh and Carbisdale warm fortune
Did turn cold macLeod, the devil's advocate
Sold James for oats and gold

I'll serve thee in such noble
Ways was never heard before
I'll crown and deck thee with all bays
And love thee more and more

The judges passed their cruel sentence
Traitors laughed and jeered
He stood unmoved in stately calm
And spoke quite unafeared
"Nail my head on yonder tower
Give every town a limb
And god who made shall gather them
I go from you to him"

As he turned from out the hall
Clouds left the sky
To battle he has never walked
More proudly than to die
They set him high upon a cart
The hangman rode below
There stood the whig and west country
Lords in balcony and bow

They brought him to the water gate
He looked so great and high
So noble was his manly frame
So clear his steadfast eye
The rebel rout forbore to shout and
Each man held his breath
For well they knew a hero's soul
Was face to face with death
Loving Scotland and his king
He went to death that morn
A shudder ran across the sky
The work of death was done