Scottish Soldier
Play/Download Music File
Barry Taylor
Information
Lyrics
The tune is a pipe tune The Green Hills of Tyrol which was written during the Crimean War (1853-1856) by John MacLeod, a Pipe Major in the 93rd Highlanders. He adapted it after hearing a Sardinian band play a continental tune. That tune was based on an Alpine folk tune, and had also been used by Rossini in William Tell.

The tune and words are from two separate sources. The Music File has only the first verse and repeats the chorus at the end.

There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
There was none bolder, with good broad shoulder
He's fought in many a fray
And fought and won!
He'd seen the glory and told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
But now he's sighing, his heart is crying,
To leave these green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.

And now this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
Sees leaves are falling and death is calling
And he will fade away in that far land!
He called his piper, his trusty piper
And bade him sound a lay
A pibroch sad to play
Upon a hillside, but Scottish hillside
Not on these green hills of Tyrol.
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.

And so this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Will wander far no more and soldier far no more
And on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
You'll see a piper play
His soldier home!
He'd seen the glory, he'd told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
The bugles cease now, he is at peace now
Far from those green hills of Tyrol
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.

Related Links
These lyrics are courtesy of a posting on the Harp Mailing List. Additional information from a forum thread at Digital Tradition.