Steeleye Span Lyrics
Cam' ye O'er Frae France

(Hogg's "Jacobite reliques")
Cam ye o'er frae France?
Cam ye doon by Lunnon?
Saw ye Geordie Whelps
and his bonnie woman?
Oh, weren't ye at the place
called the Kittle Housie?
Saw ye Geordie's grace
a-ridin' on a goosie?
Geordie, he's a man,
there is little doot o't,
And he's done a' he can,
all can dae wi'oot it,
Doon there cam' a blade,
linkin' like ma lordie,
He wad drive a trade
at the loom o' Geordie.
Though the claith were bad,
blythly may we niffer
Gin we git oor wab,
it makes little differ,
we hae tint oor plaid,
bonnet, belt and swordie
Ha's and mailin's braid,
but we hae oor Geordie.
Jocky's gone to France,
and Montgomery's lady
there will learn to dance;
madam, are ye ready?
They'll be back belyve,
belted brisk and lordly,
Brawly, may they thrive
to dance a jig wi' Geordie!
Hey for Sandy Don,
hey for Cockalorum,
Hey for Bobbin' John,
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and his Hielan' quorum!
Mony a sword and lance
swings at Hielan hurdie;
How they'll skip and dance
o'er the bum o' Geordie!
Note: When George I imported
his seraglio of impoverished
gentlewomen
from Germany, he provided
the Jacobite songwriters
with material for
some of their most ribald
verses. Madame Kilmansegge,
Countess of Platen,
is referred to exclusively
as "The Sow" in the songs,
while the King's
favorite mistress, the lean
and haggard Madame
Schulemburg (afterwards
named Duchess of Kendall)
was given the name of "The
Goose". She is the
"goosie" referred to in this
song. The "blade" is the
Count Koningsmark.
"Bobbing John refers to
John, Earl of Mar, who was
at the time recruiting
Highlanders for the
Hanoverian cause. "Geordie
Whelps" is, of course,
George I himself. MJ
Lunnon=London
Kittle Housie=Brothel
Linkin=Tripping along
Claith=Cloth
Niffer=Haggle
Gin=If
Wab=Web (or length) of cloth
Tint=Lost
Ha's and Mailins=Houses and Farmlands
Gane=Gone
Belyve=Quickly
Brawly=Well
Hurdie=Buttock