Anonymous (Traditional Scottish Ballad).There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Popularized in America by the Chad Mitchell Trio;
click here to download their awesome 3.8MB MP3 recording.
Although this old ballad has many forms, the version below is from this recording.
The captain’s name was Ned. He was the pride of the regiment,
The bonniest lad in all of the Army-o.
A very handsome sight, he was the ladies’ own delight
As we marched through the bonny streets of Fyvie-o.
“Well it’s I’ll give you ribbons, and I’ll give you rings;
And I’ll give you a necklace of amber-o,
If you’ll come on down the stair and comb back your yellow hair,
And we’ll march through the bonny streets of Fyvie-o!”
There’s many a bonny lass in the town of Achterless,
Aye, there’s many a bonny lassie in the Garioch!
There’s many a bonny Jean in the streets of Aberdeen,
But the flower of them all lives in Fyvie-o.
“Mount up!” the colonel cried, “and it’s o’er the brae we’ll ride,
Down from the highland to Firth Nery-o!”
“Well, it’s tarry another day!” we heard the captain say,
As we marched through the bonnie streets of Fyvie-o.
The colonel in a rage drew his pistol and took aim
At the bonniest lad in all of the army-o;
He fired a deadly ball, and our captain he did fall,
As we marched through the bonny streets of Fyvie-o.
It’s lang e’er we left the town of Achterless.
We had our young captain to carry-o.
And lang e’re we came into bonny Aberdeen.
We had our young captain there to bury-o.
There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Come marching down through Fyvie-o,
And the captain fell in love with a very bonny lass
As we marched through the bonny streets of Fyvie-o.