Wha'll Be King But Charlie - Scottish Jacobite anthem

Details

Description

Wha'll be King But Charlie by Alastair McDonald from the album "Bonnie Prince Charlie".

"Wha'll Be King But Charlie", also known as "The News From Moidart", is a Scottish folk song about the Jacobite rising of 1745, written by Carolina Nairne in support of Charles Edward Stuart (also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie) some time in the late 1700s. It is sung to the tune of "The Tidy Woman", an Irish jig. Lyrics for this version below:

The news fae Moidart cam yestreen
Will soon gar mony ferlie
For ships o war hae just come in
And landed Royal Charlie

Chorus:
Come through the heather, around him gather
Ye're a' the welcomer early
Around him cling wi a' your kin
For wha'll be King but Charlie?
Come through the heather, around him gather
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a together
And crown your rightfu lawfu King
For wha'll be King but Charlie?

The Hieland clans wi sword in hand
Frae John o Groats tae Airlie
Hae tae a man declared tae stand
Or fa wi royal Charlie

The Lowlands are baith great an sma
Wi mony a lord an laird hae
Declared for Scotia's King an Law
An spier ye, wha but Charlie?

There's ne'er a lass in a' the land
But vows baith late and early
She'll ne'er tae man gie heart or hand
That wadna fecht for Charlie

Sae here's a health tae Charlie's cause
And be't complete and early
His very name oor hert's bluid wairms
Tae arms for Royal Charlie