> June Tabor > Songs > Lassie Lie Near Me

Lassie Lie Near Me

[ Roud V39584 ; Ballad Index SMM3218 ; trad.]

Dick Gaughan sang Lassie Lie Near Me in 1981 on the German anthology Folk Friends 2. This track was also included in 2002 on his Greentrax anthology Prentice Piece.

Hom Bru sang Lassie Lie Near Me on their 1982 album Obadeea. They noted:

A self-explanatory Scottish love song which also appears on Iolair’s album also on the Celtic Music record label.

Bread and Roses sang Laddie Lie Near Me in 1988 on their eponymous Dragon album Bread and Roses. They noted:

Laddie Lie Near Me hold out a happier promise of requited love, as does the Flemish Maying Song, which we follow here with [the] French tune De delai lou ribotel.

Palaver (Aileen Carr, Chris Miles, Gordeanna McCulloch, and Maureen Jelks) sang Laddie Lie Near Me on the 1994 Greentrax anthology of songs from the Tron Tavern, Edinburgh, Ceilidh House Sessions.

Mick West sang Lassie Lie Near Me, in 1995 on his Lochshore album Fine Flowers and Foolish Glances. He noted:

This is a very old song found in Hogg’s Jacobite Relics and in Cromek’s Remnant’s. I also got this song from Alan MacFadyen but decided to add Hogg’s Jacobite verses as I felt it made the song more dramatic.

Corrina Hewat sang Lassie Lie Near Me, “a very passionate and powerful song [that] has always been one of our favourites”, on Bachué’s 1996 CD Bachué Café. She also sang it live in 2002 at the Scotland’s Queen of Songs tour, a recording of which was included in 2004 on the Greentrax tour anthology, Scottish Women.

June Tabor sang Lassie Lie Near Me in 2005 on her Topic CD At the Wood’s Heart and in 2013 on Quercus’ eponymous CD Quercus. She noted:

Lassie Lie Near Me, or Green Garter, John Playford’s The English Dancing Master, 1651.

The first version of the original song to this tune The Longing Shepherdess or Lady [Laddy] Lie Near Me, in the Pepys Collection, ends

I heard a voice to sing,
Sweetheart come cheer me
Thou hast been long away,
Lady lie near me.

Lassie Lie Near Me, from The Scots Musical Museum, 1787-1803, largely contributed by Robert Burns.

Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan sang Lassie Lie Near Me on their 2009 Robert Burns CD Adoon Winding Nith. They noted

Burns often adapted songs which he collected, so we’re sure he wouldn’t mind that we’ve given Lassie Lie Near Me a lullaby feel with a new melody and adding a couple of verses [3&4].

Mairi Campbell sang Laddie Lie Near Me on Concerto Caledonia’s 2011 CD Revenge of the Folksingers.

Landless sang Lassie Lie Near Me on their 2018 CD Bleaching Bones. They noted:

Words by Robert Burns, published in the Scots Musical Museum, Vol. 2, 1790; melody attributed to Thomas Blacklock. Learned from Caroline Pugh.

Jim and Susie Malcolm sang Lassie Lie Near Me on their 2019 CD The Berries. Jim Malcolm noted:

I’ve always liked this haunting song, set by Burns in the aftermath of the terrible defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden.

Cara sang Lassie Lie Near Me on their 2021 CD Grounded. They noted:

Scots Musical Museum, Vol. 2, 1790, learned from The Scottish Folksinger (1973).

Lyrics

Dick Gaughan sings Lassie, Lie Near Me

Lang hae we pairtit been, lassie, my dearie
Nou we are met again, lassie, lie near me
Near me, near me, lassie, my dearie
Lang hast thou lain thy lane - lassie, lie near me

Frae dread Culloden’s field, bluidie an drearie
Murnin my country’s fate, lanelie an wearie
Wearie, wearie, lanelie an wearie
Become a sad banished wight, faur frae my dearie

Loud, loud the win did roar, stormie an eerie
Faur frae my native shore, dangers stude near me
Near me, near me, dangers stude near me
Nou I’ve escaped them aa, lassie, lie near me

Aa that I hae endured, lassie, my dearie
Here in thine arms is cured, lassie, lie near me
Near me, near me, lassie, lie near me
Lang hast thou lain thy lane, lassie, lie near me

June Tabor sings Lassie Lie Near Me

Lang have we parted been, lassie, my dearie,
Now we are met again, lassie, lie near me.

Near me, near me, lassie, lie near me.
Lang hast thou lain thy lane, lassie, lie near me.

All that I have endured, lassie, my dearie,
Here in thy arms is cured, lassie, lie near me.

Say you’ll aye be true, never deceive me,
And I’ll love none but you, lassie, lie near me.

If in love’s bower we meet, lassie, my dearie,
My joy would be complete, lassie, lie near me.

Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan sing Lassie Lie Near Me

Lang hae we pairted been, lassie, my dearie,
Noo here we aa met again, lassie, lie near me.

Chorus:
Near me, near me, lassie, lie near me.
Lang hae you lien your lane, oh lassie, lie near me.

Aa the things that I hae endured, lassie, my dearie,
Here in your arms, oh aa is cured, lassie, lie near me.

O aa the days that I’ve been away, lassie, my dearie,
I thoucht on you and oor bairns at play, oh lassie, lie near me.

And in the morning will come the sun, lassie, my dearie,
Until that hour let us hae oor fun, oh lassie, lie near me.

Jim and Susie Malcolm sing Lassie Lie Near Me

Lang hae we pairted been, lassie my dearie.
Now we are met again, lassie lie near me.
Near me, near me, lassie my dearie,
Lang hast thou lain thy lain, lassie, lie near me.

Frae dread Culloden’s field, bluidie and drearie,
Mournin’ my country’s fate, lanelie and wearie.
Wearie, wearie, lanelie and wearie,
Become a sad banished wight, far frae my dearie.

Loud, loud the wind did roar, stormie and eerie,
Far frae my native shore, dangers stood near me.
Near me, near me, dangers stude near me,
Nou I’ve escaped them a’, lassie lie near me.

Aa that I hae endured, lassie, my dearie,
Here in thine arms is cured, lassie lie near me.
Near me, near me, lassie lie near me,
Lang has thou lain they lane, lassie lie near me.

Cara sing Lassie Lie Near Me

Lang have we parted been, lassie, my dearie,
Now we are met again, lassie, lie near me.

Near me, near me, lassie, lie near me.
Lang hast thou lain thy lane, lassie, lie near me.

All that I hae endured, lassie, my dearie,
Here in thy arms is cured, lassie, lie near me.

Say that you’ll aye be true, never deceive me,
And I’ll love none but you, lassie, lie near me.

If in love’s bower we meet, lassie, my dearie,
My joy would be complete, lassie, lie near me.