"Highland Laddie", also known as "Hielan' Laddie", is the name of a Scottish popular folk tune "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play", but as with many old melodies various sets of words can be sung to it, of which Robert Burns's poem "Highland Laddie" is probably the best known. "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play" has been reworked several times since Burns set down his words,

Donkey Riding "Donkey Riding" is a traditional work song or sea shanty originally sung in Canada, Scotland and the Northeastern United States. It has also become popular as a children's song. The earliest written record of the song dates to 1857. The tune and ...

being one variant.

Highland Regiments A Scottish regiment is any regiment (or similar military unit) that at some time in its history has or had a name that referred to Scotland or some part thereof, and adopted items of Scottish dress. These regiments were created after the Acts ...

raised in the 18th and early 19th centuries employed many unique symbols to differentiate themselves from other regiments and enlisted distinctive music to announce their arrival, but as a result of the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of 1881, all

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

were required to use "Highland Laddie" as their

regimental march A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

. Over time, many of these regiments had managed to return to their pre-Cardwell marches when, in March 2006, the establishment of the

Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the British Army Order of Precedence, senior and only Scottish regiment, Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two Army Reserve (United ...

saw the disappearance of all Scotland's historic infantry regiments and their distinctions, including music, and the adoption of a new regimental march, "

Scotland the Brave "Scotland the Brave" ( gd, Alba an Àigh) is a Scottish patriotic song, one of three often considered an unofficial Scottish national anthem (the others being " Flower of Scotland", and "Scots Wha Hae"). History The tune probably originated i ...

Regiments

"Highland Laddie" continues to be the regimental march of a number of

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

regiments with Scottish affiliations. Some of these regiments include: United Kingdom * The

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British ...

* The

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

* The London Scottish * The

Tyneside Scottish Tyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery. The Tynesid ...

Canada * 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA *

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada , colors = , march = Quick: " Hielan' Laddie"Slow: "The Red Hackle" , mascot = , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World War War in Afg ...

The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, with companies in Cambridge and Kitchener, and is an infantry sub-unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario. The P ...

* The Cape Breton Highlanders formerly 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders *

The Essex and Kent Scottish The Essex and Kent Scottish is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of The Essex Scottish Regiment and The Kent Regiment. Its colonel-in-chief is Prince Michael of Kent. ...

* 48th Highlanders of Canada *

The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment , colors = , march = Quick: " Hielan' Laddie" , battles = First World WarSecond World WarWar in Afghanistan , anniversaries = , battle_honours ...

The Calgary Highlanders The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, itself part of L ...

Australia * 16th Battalion (The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) *

41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment The 41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment, (41 RNSWR), is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. An Army Reserve unit, it is one of four battalions of the Royal New South Wales Regiment and is attached to the 5th Brigade, 2nd D ...

(The Byron Regiment) *The Adelaide Universities Regiment *

3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...

New Zealand * 1st Armoured Car Regiment (New Zealand Scottish) Republic of India *

9 Gorkha Rifles The 9th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army and, previously, the British Army. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after indepen ...

(1st Battalion 9 Gorkha Rifles) Sri Lanka *

Gemunu Watch The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Ceylon Light Infantry and the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has bee ...

Highland dance

Highland Laddie is also the name of a dance in Scottish Highland dancing, of the "national dance" subtype. This version of the dance was first published by D.G. MacLennan in 1952, who referred to it as a Hebridean dance, collected by MacLennan in 1925 from Archie MacPherson on the island of

South Uist South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...

. MacLennan himself suggested "a more effective finishing" of the dance, with entrechat at the end. Most national dances are usually danced in an Aboyne dress, but the Highland Laddie is one of two national dances that are typically danced in the standard kilt-based outfit, the other being " Wilt Thou Go to the Barracks, Johnny?".

Scottish step dances

Highland (or Hielan') Laddie is the name of several Scottish soft-shoe step dances, different from the National dance mentioned above. Two different dances of this name have been taught in Scottish (Ladies) Step dance classes within the frame of the RSCDS Summer Schools in

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

, Scotland. Yet another version, collected by Jack McConachie and published in 1972 is now commonly referred to as "Hebridean Laddie". There are reasons to believe that dances taught by Jack McConachie as Hebridean, namely Flowers of Edinburgh and

Bonnie Dundee Bonnie Dundee is the title of a poem and a song written by Walter Scott in 1825 in honour of John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse, who was created 1st Viscount Dundee in November 1688, then in 1689 led a Jacobite rising in which he died, beco ...

, originally used to be danced to the music of Hielan' Laddie as well.

Settings

As a tune with martial affiliations Highland Laddie is still widely played by the regimental bands and/or

pipes and drums A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, a ...

of the Scottish regiments. As a traditional Scottish tune, Highland Laddie is also commonly played on the

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

for Scottish dances. Typically categorised as a "Quick March," Highland Laddie is normally written in 2/4 time. The "standard" setting contains two parts (8 bars per part). As with any of the older melodies, variations have been composed and some published with the most distinctive settings appearing in Pipe Major William Ross' 1885 book containing eight parts to 'Highland Laddie'.

Canadian settings

"Highland Laddie" appears as the most frequently used

in the Canadian Armed Forces and demonstrates a variety of settings depending upon which music book and/or instructor was used in any particular area. Some regiments play two parts and some a four-part version as their regimental march. Not all the parts are in the same order and some are not played at all.

Lyrics

Numerous lyrics for the tune exist.

Jacobite Rebellion

Where ha' ye been a' the day?
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie
Saw ye him that' far awa'
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie On his head a bonnet blue
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie
Tartan plaid and Hielan' trews
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie When he drew his gude braid-sword
Then he gave his royal word.
Frae the field he ne'er wad flee
Wi' his friends wad live or dee. Geordie sits in Charlie's chair
But I think he'll no bide there.
Charlie yet shall mount the throne
Weel ye ken it is his own.

Sea Shanty

Was you ever in Quebec?
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,
Loading timber on the deck,
My bonny Highland laddie. High-ho, and away she goes,
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,
High-ho, and away she goes,
My bonny Highland laddie. Was you ever in Callao
Where the girls are never slow? Was you ever in Baltimore
Dancing on the sanded floor? Was you ever in Mobile Bay,
Screwing cotton by the day? Was you on the Brummalow,
Where Yankee boys are all the go?

Four-Part Variation

The Lawland Lads think they are fine
But oh they're vain and idle gaudy
How much unlike the graceful mein
And manly looks o' my Highland Laddie If I were free at will to choose
To be the wealthiest Lawland Lady
I'd tak' young Donald without trews
Wi' bonnet blue and Highland plaidie (Chorus): Oh my bonnie bonnie Highland Laddie
Oh my bonnie bonnie Highland Laddie
When I was sick and like to die
He rowed me in his Highland plaidie O'er Bently Hill wi' him I'll run
And leave my Lawland kin and daddy
Frae winters chill and summers sun
He'll screen me in his Highland plaidie A painted room, a silken bed
Maun please a Lawland Lord and Lady
But I could kiss and be as glad
Behind a bush in his Highland plaidie Nae greater joy I'll e'er pretend
Than that his love prove true and steady
Like mine to him, which ne'er shall end
While heaven preserves my Highland Laddie (Repeat Chorus)

Beethoven

Bonny Laddie, Highland Laddie Beethoven Op. 108 no.7 (for Piano, Violin and Cello) Four Verses, written by James Hogg http://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=23687 "Where got ye siller moon", The Lieder Net Archive Where got ye siller moon, Bonnie laddie, highland laddie, Glinting braw your belt aboon, Bonnie laddie, highland laddie? Belted plaid and bonnet blue, Have ye been at Waterloo? Weels me on your tartan trews, Tell me, tell me a' the news! Saw ye Boney by the way, Blucher wi' his beard sae grey? Or, the doure and deadly Duke, Scatt'ring Frenchmen wi'his look? Some say he the day may rue; You can till gin this be true. Would ye tell me gin ye ken, Aught o' Donald and his men? Tell me o' my kilted Clan, Gin they fought, or gin they ran?

References

External links

*
Robert Burns' lyrics
* * *

Notes

*Smith, Alexander, ed. ''Poems Songs and Letters being the Complete Works of Robert Burns'', (The Globe Edition), London, MacMillan and Co., 1868.