Lord Lovat
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1970.20.A4
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this ballad, Lord Lovat goes on a long voyage, leaving behind his lover Lady Nancybell. After years of journeying, he has a foreboding dream one night, causing him to return him at once. When he arrives, he finds ladies weeping, and learns that his beloved has died out of love for him. Weeping, he holds her body one last time.
Lizzie Higgins' mother, Jeannie Robertson, would sing this to her as a lullaby.
Item Notes
6 verses of 4 lines. In other versions of this ballad, Nancy pleads with her lover not to leave; he sometimes dies at the end of the song out of grief.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, pp. 442-447, no. 1232
'Scottish Studies' 14 (A. Munro, 1970) pp. 159-161; (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1970) pp. 45-46
'Ancient Scottish Ballads' (G. R. Kinloch, 1827) pp. 31-35
'Jeannie Robertson' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 255-257
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 57-58
'Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads & Songs' vol. 1 (E. Lyle, 1975) pp. 54-55
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 70-72
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein, A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. CLIX
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Aberdeen
Village/Place - Aberdeen
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good