Karan cover pic

Eppie Morrie

(Trad. Arr. Karan Casey/John Doyle)


Four-and-twenty Highland men
Came from the Carron side
To steal away Eppie Morrie
Cause she wouldn't be a bride, a bride
She wouldn't be a bride

Then out it's came her mother then
It was a moonlit night
She couldn't see her daughter
For the moon it shone so bright, so bright
The moon it shone so bright

They've taken Eppie Morrie
And a horse they've bound her on
And they're away to Carron side
As fast as horse could gang, could gang
As fast as horse could gang

And Willie's taken his pistol out
And put it to the minister’s breast
O marry me, marry me, minister
Or else I'll be your priest, your priest
Or else I'll be your priest

Haud away from me, Willie
Haud away from me
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Shall wedded be by me, by me
Shall wedded be by me

Then mass was sung and bells were rung
And they're away to bed
And Willie and Eppie Morrie
In one bed they were laid, were laid
In one bed they were laid

He's taken the shirt from off his back
And kicked away his shoes
And thrown away the chamber key
And naked he lay down, lay down
And naked he lay down

He's kissed her on the lily breast
And held her shoulders twa
But aye she gat and aye she spat
And turned to the wa', the wa'
And turned to the wa'

They wrestled there all through the night
Before the break of day
But aye she gat and aye she spat
But he could not stretch her spey,
He could not stretch her spey

Haud away from me, Willie,
Haud away from me
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Shall wedded be by me, by me
Shall wedded be by me

Then early in the morning
Before the light of day
In came the maid of Scallater
In gown and shirt alone, alone
In a gown and shirt alone

Get up, get up, young woman
And take a drink with me
You might have called me maiden
For I'm as whole as thee, as thee
For I'm as whole as thee.

Then in there came young Breadalbane
With a pistol on his side
O, come away, Eppie Morrie
And I'll make you my bride, my bride
And l'll make you my bride

Go get to me a horse, Willie
Get it like a man
And send me back to my mother
A maiden as I came, I came
A maiden as I came

Haud away from me, Willie
Haud away from me
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Shall wedded be by me, by me
Shall wedded be with me

Haud away from me, Willie
Haud away from me
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Shall wedded be by me, by me
Shall wedded be by me