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Auld Robin Gray

[ Roud 2652 ; G/D 7:1364 ; Ballad Index Pea482 ; Mudcat 152830 ; trad.]

David Herd: Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc., Second Volume

Tom Hughes played the song air Auld Robin Gray on his 1981 Springthyme album Tom Hughes and His Border Fiddle and on the 2015 Springthyme anthology Traditional Fiddle Music of the Scottish Borders.

Paul Anderson played the tune Auld Robin Gray on his 1997 album The Journey Home and on his 2019 album Beauties of the North.

Mhairi Lawson and Jamie MacDougall sang Auld Robin Gray on Concerto Caledonia’s 2004 album of songs and tunes from 18^th-century Scotland, The Red Red Rose.

Glasgow singer Lainey Dempsey sang Auld Robin Gray on her 2023 album Letle Telt. She noted:

Written in 1771 by Lady Ann Lindsay/Barnard (1750-1825), from Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum Volume  (1771).

A composition from 1771 crediting a woman with authorship is a rare thing and this song is also just a great bit of melodramatic storytelling. A quick flick through some old books revealed that Auld Robin Gray was one of the most popular songs of its day. According to the Reverend Charles Rogers in his book Scottish Minstrel (1885),

…the popularity obtained by the ballad has seldom been exceeded… it was made the subject of a play, of an opera and of a pantomime… it was sung in every fashionable circle as well as by the ballad singers from Lands End to John o’ Groats and printed in every collection of national song… the author had been advertised for in the public prints, a reward being offered for the discovery.

Lady Ann Lyndsay wrote it when she was 21 and despite its popularity did not come forward as the author till over 50 years later. A couple of years before she died she sent a copy of the original manuscript to her friend Sir Walter Scott.

We can only speculate as to why Lady Ann Lyndsay wished to remain anonymous but due to the prevailing attitudes of her time, it’s likely that if the song were known to have been written by a woman, it would not have been so revered. 100 years after Auld Robin Gray was written, Reverend Rogers writes of Lady Ann Lyndsay:

…to amiability of manners and kindliness of heart, she added the more substantial, and, in females, the more uncommon quality of eminent devotedness to intellectual labour.

I suspect if Lady Ann Lyndsey had ever been able to meet Reverend Rogers he would not have inspired her amiability of manners!

Lyrics

Mhairi Lawson and Jamie MacDougall sing Auld Robin Gray

When the Sheep are in the Fauld, and the Kye at hame,
And a’ the warl’d to Sleep are gane,
The Waes o’ my heart fa’ in Show’rs frae my ee
When my Gudeman lyes sound by me.

Young Jamie lo’ed me well and he sought me for his bride;
But saving a crown he had naething beside,
To make that crown a pound my Jamie gade to Sea;
And the crown and the pound were baith for me.

He had nae been awa a week but only twa,
When my mother she fell sick and the Cow was stown awa,
My father brake his arm and my Jamie at the sea.
And Auld Robin Gray came a-courting me.

My father couldna work and my mother couldna spin;
I toil’d day and night but their bread I couldna win;
Auld Rob maintain’d them baith and wi’ tears in his ee
Said Jenny for their saks O marry me.

My heart it said nay I look’d for Jamie back,
But the wind it blew high and the Ship it was a wrack,
The Ship it was a wrack why didna Jenny dee?
Or why do I live to say waes me.

Auld Robin argued sair tho’ my mother didna speak,
She look’d in my face till my heart was like to break.
So they gied him my hand tho’ my heart was in the sea,
And Auld Robin Gray is Gudeman to me.

I hadna been a wife a week but only four,
When sitting sae mournfuly at the door,
I Saw my Jamies wraith for I couldna think it he,
Till he said I’m come back for to marry thee.

O sair did we greet, and mickle did we say,
We took but ae kiss and we tore ourselves away.
I wish that I were dead but I’m no like to dee,
And why do I live to say waes me.

I gang like a Ghaist, and I carenae to spin,
I darena think on Jamie for that wad be a sin.
But I’ll do my best a Gudewife to be,
For Auld Robin Gray is kind to me.

Lainey Dempsey sings Auld Robin Gray

When the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye at hame
And all the world tae sleep has gane
The waes o’ my heart fall like showers fae my e’e
When my gid man lies sound by me

May Jamie loved me well and he sought me for his bride
But saving for a pound he had naething else beside
Tae make that crown a pound, my Jamie gaed tae sea
And the crown and the pound were baith fer me

He hadne been gane fer 12 months and a day
When ma faither broke his leg and oor kye wis stown away
Ma mither she fell sick, and ma Jamie at the sea
And auld Robin Gray came a courtin’ me

Ma faither couldne work, ma mither couldne spin
I toiled nicht and day but their bread I couldne win
Auld Rab maintained them baith and wi’ tears in his e’e
Said Jeanie fer their sake, O marry me?

My heart it said nae, I wanted Jamie back
But the wind it had blown strong and his ship it was a wreck
His ship it was a wreck o why didne Jamie Dee?
And why dae I live to say wae is me?

Ma faither pressed me sair, ma mither didne speak
But she looked intae ma face and my heart wis fit tae break
They gied him my hand, though ma heart wis at the sea
And Auld Robin Gray is guid man tae me

I hudne been a wife a week but only four
When sitting sae mournfully aw nicht at the door
I saw ma Jamie’s ghaist, for I couldne think it he
Till he said I’ve come hame for tae marry thee

Well sair did we greet and meikle did we say
We took but ae kiss, and we tore oorselves away
I wish that I were died but I’m no like to dee
Oh why do I live to say “Woe is me”?

I care nae tae work, I care nae tae spin
I darenae think o Jamie, for that would be a sin
But I’ll dae ma best, a guid wife tae be,
For Auld Robin Gray, he is kind tae me