Piper o' Dundee

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Barry Taylor

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The tune is said to be Aiken Drum. The words are in Hogg's "Jacobite Relics of Scotland" (1819-21).

James Hogg, also wrote/adapted the tune or words to:

For other Jacobite tunes go to the bottom of The Contemplator's Short History of the Jacobite Uprisings.

It has been suggested that this particular "rogue" piper has a basis in history - Antonie Court was a piper in Dundee who played "subversive" tunes.

Amulrie is a village in Perthshire.

The piper came to out town,
To our town, to our town
The piper came to our town
And he played bonnielie
He play'd a spring the laird to please
A spring brent new from 'yont the seas
And then he gae his bags a wheeze
And played anither key
And wasna he a rougey, a rougey, a rougey
And wasna he a rougey, the piper o' Dundee

He play'd "The Welcome Ower the Main"
And "Ye's Be Fou and I'se be Fain"
And "Auld Stuart's Back Again"
Wi' muckle mirth and glee
He'd play'd "The Kirk", he play'd "The Queer"
"The Mullen Dhu" and "Chevalier"
And "Lang Awa' But Welcome Here"
Sae sweet, sae bonnielie
And wasna he a rougey, a rougey, a rougey
And wasna he a rougey, the piper o' Dundee

It's some gat swords and some gat nane
And some were dancing mad their lane
And mony a vow o' weir
Was ta'en that night at Amulrie
There was Tillibardine, and Burleigh
And Struan, Keith, and Olgivie
And brave Carnegie, wha' but he,
The piper o' Dundee.
And wasna he a rougey, a rougey, a rougey
And wasna he a rougey, the piper o' Dundee

Related Links
Lyrics from
Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
See Bibliography for full information.
Information from
Traditional Folksongs and Ballads of Scotland