Traditional Scottish Songs
- Johnnie Cope

As the Jacobite army advanced south in 1745, a Hanoverian force, led by Sir John Cope, was in pursuit. Bonnie Prince Charlie reached Edinburgh first, however, and Cope assembled his troops to the south, at Prestonpans, waiting for reinforcements. But the wily Jacobite commander Lord George Murray circled round and launched a surprise attack early one morning and routed the government forces, some say in less than 15 minutes. This Jacobite song recalls this famous victory.


Johnnie Cope

Chorus
Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were wauking I wad wait
To gang to the coals i' the morning.

Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar:
'Charlie, meet me an' ye daur,
An' I'll learn you the art o' war
If you'll meet me i' the morning.'

Chorus

When Charlie looked the letter upon
He drew his sword the scabbard from:
'Come, follow me, my merry merry men,
And we'll meet Johnnie Cope i' the morningl

Chorus

'Now Johnnie, be as good's your word;
Come, let us try both fire and sword;
And dinna rin like a frichted bird,
That's chased frae its nest i' the morning.'

Chorus

When Johnnie Cope he heard of this,
He thought it wadna be amiss
To hae a horse in readiness,
To flee awa' i' the morning.

Chorus

Fy now, Johnnie, get up an' rin;
The Highland bagpipes mak' a din;
It's best to sleep in a hale skin,
For 'twill be a bluidy morning.

Chorus

When Johnnie Cope tae Dunbar came,
They speired at him, 'Where's a' your men?'
'The deil confound me gin I ken,
For I left them a' i' the morning.

Chorus

'Now Johnnie, troth, ye werena blate
To come wi' news o' your ain defeat,
And leave your men in sic a strait
Sae early in the morning.

Chorus

'I' faith,' quo' Johnnie, 'I got sic flegs
Wi' their claymores an' philabegs;
If I face them again, deil break my legs!
Sae I wish you a' gude morning'.

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
wauking=waking
speired=asked
blate=shy
sic=such
flegs=frights
philabegs=kilts

Return to the Index of Traditional Scottish Songs



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