> Folk Music > Songs > Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie

Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie / Wheel of Fortune

[ Roud 5121 ; Mudcat 55377 ; trad.]

Belle Stewart sang Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie in a 1955 recording made at Blairgowrie (SA1955.036.2). It was included in 2011 on the Greentrax anthology of songs and ballads from Perthshire Field recordings of the 1950s, Songs and Ballads From Perthshire Field Recordings of the 1950s (Scottish Tradition 24). The album’s booklet noted:

Belle learned this song from her brother Donald [MacGregor]. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger observed that to their knowledge this song had rarely been reported from Scotland (MacColl and Seeger, 1986:222).

Cathie Stewart sang Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie on the 1965 Topic album of traditional ballads, songs and pipe music by one of Scotland’s great singing families, The Stewarts of Blair. Hamish Henderson noted:

Cathie learned this haunting song from old Henry MacGregor of Perth, a fine piper and story-teller as well as a singer. The text, with its mysterious overtones, probably derives from a ‘night-visiting’ song, but elements of another song have got embedded in it. The result is a poignant lyric love-song.

Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise sang Wheel of Fortune in 1976 on their Trailer album Balcanquhal and in the following year on Jean Redpath’s BBC Television series Ballad Folk. Their verses add a ‘Wheel of Fortune» chorus to Belle and Cathie Stewart’s song.

Alasdair Roberts and Donald WG Lindsay sang Wheels of Fortune on their 2025 album Welcome Home My Dearie. Alasdair Roberts noted:

This song was learnt from a recording of Alexander ‘Eck’ Harley, a retired farm servant who was recorded singing it by Hamish Henderson in Cupar, Fife in 1981.

Maz O’Connor sang Caw the Yowes, learned from Karine Polwart, on her 2012 album Upon a Stranger Shore. Her recording starts with this song but then segues into Over Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie.

Lyrics

Belle Stewart sings Ower Yon Hill There Lives a Lassie

Ower yon hill there lives a lassie
But her name I do not know
And this night I will go an see her
O whether she be high or low.

“Lassie I hae come tae see ye
But perhaps it is in vain
But if you will kindly entertain me
Sure mebbe I’ll call back again.

“Lassie I have got gold and silver
Lassie I have got diamond stone
Lassie I have got ships on the ocean
And they’ll be yours love if you’ll be mine.”

“O what care I for your gold and silver
What care I for your diamond stone
Or what care I for your ships on the ocean
Sure all I want is a good young man.”

Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise sing Wheel of Fortune

Ower yon hill there lives a lassie
And her name I do not know.
Some fine day I’m goin’ ta see her
Whether she be rich or no.

Chorus (after each verse):
Nineteen seventeen fifteen thirteen,
Eleven nine seven and a five three one.
Twenty eighteen sixteen fourteen,
Twelve ten eight six four two none.

Round and round go the wheels of fortune,
Round and round till they weary me.
Young women’s hairts are so uncertain,
Sad experience teaches me.

Lassie, I’ve got gowd and silver,
Lassie, I’ve got hooses and land.
Lassie, I’ve got ships on the ocean
All to come at your command.

I dinnae want yer gowd and silver,
I dinnae want yer hooses and yer land.
Well, I dinnae want yer ships on the ocean,
All I want is a good young man.

(repeat first verse)

Alasdair Roberts and Donald WG Lindsay sing Wheels of Fortune

O’er yon hill there lives a lassie,
What is her name I do not know.
Lately I will go an see her
Whether she be rich or no.

Chorus (after each verse):
There’s nineteen seventeen fifteen thirteen,
Eleven nine seven and a five three one.
Twenty eighteen sixteen fourteen,
Twelve ten eight six four two none.

Round and round goes the wheels of fortune,
Round and round till they weary me.
Young women’s hearts are so uncertain,
Sad experience teaches me.

“Lassie I hae gold and silver,
Lassie I hae diamond stone.
Lassie I hae ships on the ocean,
They’ll be yours if you’ll be mine.”

“O what care I for your gold and silver?
What care I for your diamond stone?
Or what care I for your ships on the ocean=
All I want is a nice young man.”