X:1
T:Jock O' the Side
B:Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Dec 1936
S:From the Edinburgh Manuscripts (no 56).
Z:Frank Kidson/Anne G Gilchrist
F:http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
M:6/8     %Meter
L:1/8     %
K:Am
E |E2 A A2 A |A2 A A2
w:Now Lid-des-dale has ridden a raid,
E |E2 A A2 A | G2 E D2
w:But I wat better had stayed at hame,
 D |E2 A A2 A |B2 A B2
w:For Mich-eal o'Win-field he is dead,
 d |B2 A A2 A | G2 E D2
w:And Jock o'the Side is prison-er ta'en
 (E/G/) |[M:5/8][L:1/16] A4 B B d2 e2 |[M:2/4][L:1/16] B3 A A4 |]
w: And_ Jock o' the Side is prison-er ta'en
W:Now Liddesdale has ridden a raid,
W:But I wat better had stayed at hame;
W:For Micheal o Winfield he is dead,
W:And Jock o' the Side is prisoner ta'en.?
W:
W:(Child version B follows)
W:For Mangerton House auld Downie is gane;
W: Her coats she has kilted up to her knee,
W: And down the water wi speed she rins,
W: While tears in spaits fa fast frae her eie.
W:
W: Then up and bespake the lord Mangerton:
W:?What news, what news, sister Downie, to me??
W: ?Bad news, bad news, my lord Mangerton;
W: Mitchel is killd, and tane they hae my son Johnie.?
W:
W: ?Neer fear, sister Downie,? quo Mangerton;
W: ?I hae yokes of oxen four and twentie,
W: My barns, my byres, and my faulds, a? weel filld,
W: And I?ll part wi them a? ere Johnie shall die.
W:
W: ?Three men I?ll take to set him free
W:Weel harnessd a? wi best o steel;
W: The English rogues may hear, and drie
W: The weight o their braid swords to feel.
W:
W: ?The Laird?s Jock ane, the Laird?s Wat twa
W: Oh, Hobie Noble, thou ane maun be;
W: Thy coat is blue, thou has been true,
W: Since England banishd thee, to me.?
W:
W:Now Hobie was a English man,
W: In Bewcastle-dale was bred and born;
W: But his misdeeds they were sae great,
W: They banishd him neer to return
W:.
W: Lord Mangerton them orders gave,
W:?Your horses the wrang way maun a? be shod;
W: Like gentlemen ye must not seem,
W: But look like corn-caugers gawn ae road.
W:
W: ?Your armour gude ye maunna shaw,
W: Nor ance appear like men o weir;
W: As country lads be all arrayd,
W: Wi branks and brecham on ilk mare.?
W:
W: Sae now a? their horses are shod the wrang way,
W: And Hobie has mounted his grey sae fine,
W: Jock his lively bay, Wat?s on his white horse behind,
W: And on they rode for the water o Tyne.
W:
W: At the Choler-ford they a? light down,
W: And there, wi the help o the light o the moon,
W: A tree they cut, wi fifteen naggs upo ilk side,
W: To climb up the wa o Newcastle town.
W:
W: But when they cam to Newcastle town,
W: And were alighted at the wa,
W: They fand their tree three ells oer laigh,
W: They fand their stick baith short and sma.
W:
W: Then up and spake the Laird?s ain Jock,
W: ?There?s naething for ?t, the gates we maun force;?
W: But when they cam the gates unto,
W: A proud porter withstood baith men and horse
W:.
W: His neck in twa I wat they hae wrung,
W: Wi hand or foot he neer playd paw;
W: His life and his keys at anes they hae tane,
W: And cast his body ahind the wa.
W:
W: Now soon they reach Newcastle jail,
W: And to the prisner thus they call:
W: ?Sleips thou, wakes thou, Jock o the Side?
W: Or is thou wearied o thy thrall??
W:
W: Jock answers thus, wi dolefu tone:
W: Aft, aft I wake, I seldom sleip;
W: But wha?s this kens my name sae weel,
W: And thus to hear my waes do[es] seik?
W:
W: Then up and spake the good Laird?s Jock,
W: ?Neer fear ye now, my billie,? quo he;
W: ?For here?s the Laird?s Jock, the Laird?s Wat,
W: And Hobie Noble, come to set thee free.?
W:
W: ?Oh, had thy tongue, and speak nae mair,
W: And o thy tawk now let me be!
W: For if a? Liddisdale were here the night,
W: The morn?s the day that I maun die.
W:
W: ?Full fifteen stane o Spanish iron
W: They hae laid a? right sair on me;
W: Wi locks and keys I am fast bound
W: Into this dungeon mirk and drearie.?
W:
W: ?Fear ye no that,? quo the Laird?s Jock;
W: ?A faint heart neer wan a fair ladie;
W: Work thou within, we?ll work without,
W: And I?ll be bound we set thee free.?
W:
W: The first strong dore that they came at,
W: They loosed it without a key;
W: The next chaind dore that they cam at,
W: They gard it a? in flinders flee.
W:
W: The prisner now, upo his back,
W: The Laird?s Jock?s gotten up fu hie;
W: And down the stair him, irons and a?,
W: Wi nae sma speed and joy brings he.
W:
W: ?Now, Jock, I wat,? quo Hobie Noble,
W: ?Part o the weight ye may lay on me;?
W: ?I wat weel no,? quo the Laird?s Jock,
W: ?I count him lighter than a flee.?
W:
W: Sae out at the gates they a? are gane,
W: The prisner?s set on horseback hie;
W: And now wi speed they?ve tane the gate,
W: While ilk ane jokes fu wantonlie.
W:
W: ?O Jock, sae winsomely?s ye ride,
W: Wi baith your feet upo ae side!
W: Sae weel?s ye?re harnessd, and sae trig!
W: In troth ye sit like ony bride.?
W:
W: The night, tho wat, they didna mind,
W: But hied them on fu mirrilie,
W: Until they cam to Cholerford brae,
W: Where the water ran like mountains hie.
W:
W: But when they came to Cholerford,
W: There they met with an auld man;
W: Says, Honest man, will the water ride?
W: Tell us in haste, if that ye can.
W:
W: ?I wat weel no,? quo the good auld man;
W: ?Here I hae livd this threty yeirs and three.
W: And I neer yet saw the Tyne sae big,
W: Nor rinning ance sae like a sea.?
W:
W: Then up and spake the Laird?s saft Wat,
W: The greatest coward in the company;
W: ?Now halt, now halt, we needna try?t;
W: The day is comd we a? maun die!?
W:
W: ?Poor faint-hearted thief!? quo the Laird?s Jock,
W: ?There?ll nae man die but he that?s fie;
W: I?ll lead ye a? right safely through;
W: Lift ye the prisner on ahint me.?
W:
W: Sae now the water they a? hae tane,
W: By anes and twas they a? swam through;
W: ?Here are we a? safe,? says the Laird?s Jock,
W: ?And, poor faint Wat, what think ye now??
W:
W: They scarce the ither side had won,
W: When twenty men they saw pursue;
W: Frae Newcastle town they had been sent,
W: A? English lads, right good and true
W:.
W: But when the land-sergeant the water saw,
W: ?It winna ride, my lads,? quo he;
W: Then out he cries, Ye the prisner may take,
W: But leave the irons, I pray, to me.
W:
W: ?I wat weel no,? cryd the Laird?s Jock,
W: ?I?ll keep them a?, shoon to my mare they?ll be;
W: My good grey mare, for I am sure,
W: She?s bought them a? fu dear frae thee.?
W:
W: Sae now they?re away for Liddisdale,
W: Een as fast as they coud them hie;
W: The prisner?s brought to his ain fire-side,
W: And there o?s airns they make him free.
W:
W: ?Now, Jock, my billie,? quo a? the three,
W: ?The day was comd thou was to die;
W: But thou?s as weel at thy ain fire-side,
W: Now sitting, I think, tween thee and me.?
W:
W: They hae gard fill up ae punch-bowl,
W: And after it they maun hae anither,
W: And thus the night they a? hae spent,
W: Just as they had been brither and brither.
W:
W: