12. I'm a Rover, Seldom Sober (Child 248) - (Traditional Scottish)

Details

Description

This song is a version of the traditional ballad, "The Grey Cock" or "The Night Visit", in which the lover turns out to be a ghost. There is some debate about whether the supernatural element was there from the start and taken out in some later versions of the song, or whether it was actually borrowed from other ballads and added to this one.

A lot of performers sing this fairly fast, but I prefer a slower pace. After all, it is a love song.

This song is on my second CD, "Laws of Chance".

Lyrics and chords:
G ....................... C ......... G
I'm a rover and seldom sober.
..................................... D7
I'm a rover of high degree.
....................... G ............... D7 ............. G
It's when I'm drinking, I'm always thinking
...................................... D7 ..... G
How to gain my love's company.

Though the night be as dark as dungeon,
Not a star to be seen above,
I will be guided without a stumble
Into the arms of my own true love.

Chorus

I crept up to her bedroom window,
Kneeling gently upon a stone.
I rapped at her bedroom window.
"Darling dear, do you lie alone?"

"It's only me, your own true lover.
Open the door and let me in,
For I have come on a long journey
And I'm near drenched to the skin."

Chorus

She opened the door with the greatest pleasure.
She opened the door and she let me in.
We both clasped hands and embraced each other.
Until the morning we lay as one.

The cocks were crowing, the birds were whistling.
The streams ran free about the brae.
"Remember lass, I'm a ploughman laddie
And the farmer I must obey."

Chorus

"Now my love, I must go and leave thee
And, though the hills they are high above,
I will climb them with greater pleasure,
Since I've been in the arms of my love."


For a playlist of all my a capella songs:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLE81659B9EA983BB2

You can watch a playlist of my renditions of the Child ballads:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLB2D0D5657EA394E4

You can see a playlist of my Irish songs here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PL373C27204B0BB31F

A playlist of my drinking songs is here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLEE763045FA6FB331

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com