Look Who it Was Random video

Guitar: Dowie Dens of Yarrow (Including lyrics and chords)

2,332 views · Published 24 March 2010 · 4:26 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: threelegsoman · 2010 · Entertainment

Watch on YouTube

A request from a new subscriber, Sean (hakkamantis) has given me somewhat of a difficult time. Firstly it has been a problem finding the lyrics; though with a lot of perseverance I have managed to sort them out. Secondly there are a number of examples of the song on YouTube, but they all differ in style and the tune does not seem to be the same in any of them. So I have settled on a set of lyrics and a variant of the tune based mainly on The Corries version. I hope this will be satisfactory. The song is a familiar story of a noble lady falling in love with a suitor far below her in social standing, but unlike the similar story of Matt Hyland, in this song the suitor is slain by her brother. A melancholy song then, but none the less told in an atmospheric manner.

The Dowie Dens of Yarrow

Am                  G      C        Am                                                     Em        
There lived a lady in the North you could scarcely find her marrow
Am                        G           C         Am                               Em        Am
She was courted by nine noble lords and a plooman lad fae Yarrow

They nine sat drinking at the wine sat drinking wine in Yarrow
And they've made a vow among themselves for tae fecht for her on Yarrow

She's washed his face, she's combed his hair as oft she'd done afore oh
She's made him like a noble lord for tae fecht for her on Yarrow

As he gaed doon the high, high hill doon tae the howe o' Yarrow
'Twas there he spied nine armed men come tae fecht wi' him on Yarrow

There's three he slew and three withdrew and three he wounded sairly oh
Till her brother John came in fae behind and has wounded him most foully

"Oh, faither dear, I dreamed a dream I doubt it will bring sorrow
I dreamed I pulled the heather green on the dowie dens o' Yarrow"

So she gaed doon the high, high hill doon tae the howe o' Yarrow
And there she's found her lover John lying pale and wan on Yarrow

Her hair it was three quarters long the colour it was yellow
She's wrapped it round his middle sae small and she's bore him up frae Yarrow

"Oh faither dear, ye've seven sons ye may wed them all tomorrow
For the fairest floo'r amang them a' was the lad that I lo'ed on Yarrow

I have just produced a book of songs under the title "50 Songs from the 'threelegsoman' collection". It is available as a printed book or as an eBook and can be found at:

http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/316519-50-songs-from-the-threelegsoman-collection

More from this channel