Lang Johnny More is a traditional ballad and folk song, also known as Lang Johnnie More, Lang Johnnie Muir or other variants. It is
Child ballad number 251 (Roud 3100).
Synopsis
The song concerns a member of a clan of
Scottish giants, one of whom, the Johnnie of the title, goes to visit
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and falls in love with the king's daughter. The king subdues Johnnie by giving him drops of
laudanum and imprisoning him. However Johnnie manages to send a small boy as a messenger back to his relatives in Scotland and two of them come down to London to set Johnnie free. One of them succeeds in bypassing the city gates by punching a hole in the wall and after this feat they are able to find and free their relative unopposed. Their heroic visage and dire threats of retribution convince the king to allow Johnnie to marry his daughter and all of them then go back to Scotland.
Versions
*
Battlefield Band
Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band.
The band is noted for t ...
recorded this song as ''Lang Johnnie Moir'' which has been collected on the album ''At the Front''.
External links
Lyrics at DigitradChild Ballad #251
References
Child Ballads
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