Cam ye o'er frae France? is a Scots folk song from the time of the

Jacobite rebellions , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...

of the 18th century. It satirises the marital problems of the Hanoverian

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...

Background

After the death of Queen

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

the British crown passed on to

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

, the

Elector of Hanover The Electorate of Hanover (german: Kurfürstentum Hannover or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, located in northwestern Germany and taking its name from the capital city of Hanover. It was formally known as ...

. In his

entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

George I brought with him a number of German courtiers, including his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, whom he later created the Duchess of Kendal (known as ''the Goose'') and his half-sister Sophia von Kielmansegg (commonly referred to as ''the Sow''). George I's wife

Sophia Dorothea of Celle Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of future King George I of Great Britain. The union with George, her first cousin, was a marriage of state, arranged by her father Geor ...

remained in Hanover, imprisoned at

Ahlden House Ahlden House (german: Schloss Ahlden) is a stately home at Ahlden on the Lüneburg Heath in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was built in 1549, originally as a water castle on the river Aller, which has since changed its course. Nowadays the three- ...

after her affair with

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck Philip Christoph von Königsmarck (4 March 1665 – 2 July 1694), also spelled Philipp, was a Swedish count and soldier. He was allegedly the lover of Sophia Dorothea, Princess of Celle, the wife of Duke George Louis of Brunswick and Lüneburg, ...

– the ''blade'' in the song. Another historic personality in the song is John Erskine, Earl of Mar (''Bobbing John'') who recruited in the Scottish Highlands for the Jacobite cause. The nickname ''Geordie Whelps'' is a reference to the House of Welf, the original line of the

House of Hanover The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...

Tune

\relative c'' \addlyrics

Lyrics

(Repeat first verse)

Glossary

a, a' = ''adj'' all
= ''n'' bonnet
() = quickly, soon, immediately
= a person of weak, soft constitution from rapid overgrowth; Count

of Sweden
= ''adj'' festive; glad; happy; joyful. ''n'' gladly, happily.
Bobbing John = John Erskine, Earl of Mar. So called because he switched sides 6 times before his death.
= broad
= ''adj'' fine; handsome; splendid; admirable; well-dressed; worthy
= wellFolk Songs and Ballads of Scotland
ca = ''v'' call
= cloth
cloth = George Augustus
= a young cock, or little man with a high opinion of himself. Alexander Gordon, Marquis of Huntly
differ = ''n'' difference; dissent. ''v'' dissent.
Don = diminutive of Gordon (the last syllable).
= metaphor for fornication - Count

of Sweden's alleged affair with Princess

= gone
= by the time, if, whether
= Jacobite nickname for

Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Duchess of Munster (25 December 166710 May 1743) was a longtime mistress to King George I of Great Britain. Early life She was born at Emden in the Duchy of Magdeburg. She was a daught ...

, mistress of King George I
ha = ''n'' hall; house; mansion.
ha's and mailins = houses and farmlands
= ''v'' have; take; credit (believe/think)
= a Highland soldier
Highland quorum = either the hunting party on 27 August 1715 or the planning meeting on 3 September 1715
= buttock
Jocky = a Scotsman. James III
= ''n'' skip; ''v'' walk smartly; to make love
= tripping along
loom = a loom; a metaphor for female sexual organs
loom of Geordie = George I's former wife, Princess

= George I
= a leased

smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...

, a farm
= broad farmlands
Montgomery = Sidney, Earl of Godolphin
Montgomery's lady = Queen Mary Beatrice of Modena, wife of James II and mother of James III
= ''adj'' many
= haggle or exchange; to exchange, to barter with objects hidden in the fists
o'er = over; excessively; too
= James III
Sandy = diminutive of Alexander.
Sandy Don = Major-General Alexander Gordon of Auchintoul
= success
= lost; lost (past participle of tine = to lose)
to dance = to raise funds, to raise troops and prepare to fight. Compare the song To Auchindown, which has the lines: "We joined the dance, and kissed the lance, / And swore us foes to strangers."
to dance a jig with Geordie = To fight with George I.
= web (or length) of cloth); a length of woven cloth from one loom
= ''n'' pledge, security; wager, bet; forfeit. ''adj'' wedded. ''v'' pledge; wager, bet; wed.
= ''pron'' who

Glossary

Modern recordings

* Ewan MacColl and

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeger's father ...

, Songs of Two Rebellions: The Jacobite Wars of 1715 and 1745 in Scotland.

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fo ...

, 1960. *

The Corries The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. The group was a trio from their formation until 1966 when founder Bill Smith left the band but Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne continued ...

, Bonnet Belt and Sword, 1967 * Steeleye Span, Parcel of Rogues, 1973

References

* {{authority control Jacobitism Scottish folk songs 18th-century songs 18th century in Scotland Scots-language works Political songs Jacobite songs Songs about France Songs about kings Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown George I of Great Britain Mary of Modena