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To the Lords of Convention 'twas Clav'rhouse who spoke:
Ere the king's crown shall fall there are crowns to be broke,
Then each cavalier who loves honour and me,
Let him follow the bonnet of Bonnie Dundee."

(Chorus)
Come fill up my cap, come fill up my can,
Come saddle your horses and call out your men,
Come open the West Port, and let me gang free,
And it's room for the Bonnets of Bonnie Dundee.

Dundee he is mounted, he rides up the street,
The bells are rung backward, the drums they are beat,
But the provost, douce man, said, "Just let him be,
The gude town is weel quit o' that De'il o' Dundee."

"There are hills beyond Pentland and lands beyond Forth,
Be there lords in the Lowlands, they've chiefs in the North;
There are wild Du-nie-was-sals, three thousand times three
Will cry 'Hoi' for the bonnet of Bonnie Dundee.

"Then away to the hills, to the caves, to the rocks -
Ere I own a userper, I'll crouch with the fox;
And tremble, false Whigs, in the midst of your glee.
You have not seen the last of my bonnet and me."

abc | midi | pdf
Source: Singing Together, Spring 1970, BBC Publications

Notes:
Attributed to Walter Scott:

The song was originally included in the play "The Doom of Devorgoil - A Melodrama" (1830) by Sir Walter Scott. There is no particular evidence as to whether he wrote it or not, but his appears to be the earliest version of the song, so it is probable that he did (Scott wrote quite a few "folk songs").

- IanC, from this Mudcat thread

A longer version of the song is given in the same thread, and copied into discussion thread at this site.

Roud:
Laws:
Child:



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