The Baron o' Brackley (3) (#203) From Dee side came Inverey whistlin' and playin' And he is to Brackley's yetts ere the day is dawnin' Saying, Baron O'Brackley oh are ye within? There are sharp swords to knock your yetts, to gar your bluid spin Oh rise up my husband and turn back your kye For the men frae (Donnywhistle) are driving them by Oh how might I rise up and turn them again For every man I ha'e I am sure he ha'e ten Gin I had a husband the like I have nane He'd no lie in his bed and watch his kye ta'en Then up spake the baron, said gi'e me my sword There's nae a man in Scotland but I'll brave at a word Then the baron were buskit to ride o'er the close A gallanter Gordon ne'er mounted a horse Saying, kiss me, my Peggy, dinna think me tae blame For I maun go oot, love, and I'll never come hame There rode wi' false Inverey full thirty and three But along wi' bonny Brackley just his brother and he Twa gallanter Gordons did ne'er the sword draw But against three and thirty, wae's me, what is twa? Wi' swords and wi' daggers they did him surround And they pierced bonny Brackley wi' monys a wound Tae the banks o the Dee, tae the sides of the Spey Oh the Gordons will mourn him and will ban Inverey Oh came ye from Brackley's yetts, oh came ye by there? And saw ye his Peggy a-rivin' her hair Aye, I came by Brackley's yetts, I came by there And I saw his bonny Peggy she was makin' good cheer She was rantin', she was dancin', she was singin' wi' joy And she swears ilka nicht she will feast Inverey And she laughed wi' him danced wi' him, welcomed him ben And lay wi' him till morning he who slew her good man There's grief in the kitchen, there's mirth in the hall For the Baron o Brackley lies dead and awa' But oot spake his young son on his nurse's knee Gin I grow to be a man 'tis revenged I'll be Here is another version of 'The Baron O' Brackley' - one of the greatest of all the ballads. The text is from the singing of Danny Spooner of Melbourne and it d iffers in significant respects from the two in the DT. As the DT note indicates, the texts of this ballad all appear to be conflated. This text has bits and pie ces from the various Child texts (#203) and from other sources. However, I recko n it is the most coherent and satisfying text that I have heard for singing in a folk club setting. Like most traditional ballads, it has no preamble and assume s that the listener knows the background to the story. It is believed the incide nt occurred in September 1666, but what the ballad does not tell us is that it i s a reprisal raid by John Farquharson of Source: 'Danny Spooner and Friends' Anthology AR 002 Child #203 SX apr00
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