Annachie Gordon

A fine performance of
a Scottish ballad on a familiar theme.

whose haunting melody Rachmaninov might have loved
and taken for a fine excursion.

Buchan, it is bonny-o, and there lives my love;
My heart it lies upon him, it will not remove.
It will not remove for all that I have done,
Oh never will I forget my love Annachie.

For Annachie Gordon, oh he’s bonny and he’s braw,
He’d entice any woman that ever him saw.
He’d entice any woman and so he has done me,
Oh never will I forget my love Annachie

Down came her father, standing on the floor,
Saying, “Jeannie, you’re trying the tricks of a whore.
You care nothing for a man who cares so very much for thee;
You must marry with Lord Saltoun and leave Young Annachie.

“For Annachie Gordon he’s only but a man
Although he may be pretty but where are all his lands?
Saltoun’s lands are broad and his towers they stand high;
You must marry with Lord Saltoun and forget Young Annachie.”

“With Annachie Gordon oh I’d beg for my bread
Before that I’d marry Saltoun with gold to my head.
With gold to my head and with gowns fringed to the knee,
Oh I’ll die if I don’t get my love Annachie.

“And you that are my parents, oh to church you may me bring,
Ah but unto Lord Saltoun, oh I’ll never bear a son.
Oh, a son or a daughter, oh I’ll never bow my knee,
Oh, I’ll die if I don’t get my love Annachie.”

When Jeanie was married and from church she was brought home,
And she and her maidens so merry should have been,
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
Oh, she’s gone to a chamber and she’s crying all alone.

“Come to bed now Jeanie, oh my honey and my sweet,
For to style you my mistress it would not be meet.”
“Oh it’s mistress or Jeannie, it’s all the same to me,
For it’s in your bed, Lord Saltoun, I never shall be.”

And up and spoke her father and he’s spoken with renown,
“All you who are her maidens won’t you loosen off her gown.”
But she fell down in a swoon, so low down by their knees,
Saying, “Look on, for I’m dying for my love Annachie.”

The day that Jeannie married was the day that Jeanie died
That’s the day that young Annachie come rolling from the tide

And down came her maidens and they’re wringing of their hands,
Saying, “Woe to you, Annachie, for staying from the sands.
So long from the land and so long upon the flood,
Oh they’ve wedded your Jeannie and now she is dead.”

“All you that are her maidens, won’t you take me by the hand?
Won’t you lead me to the chamber that my love lies in?”
And he’s kissed her cold lips until his heart turned to stone,
And he’s died in the chamber where his true love lay in.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Saltoun_and_Auchanachie]