---

Oh, I wouldn’t tell a lie to this present company,
It’s the truth I am to tell you, though it’s hard to believe.
How the flower of all Scotland were led unto their deaths,
By the man we’d called “our darling” our Charlie.

             Don’t sing of no bonny boats heading over tae Skye,
CHO     Don’t sing of the Italian, who watched so many die.
 RUS    Don’t sing of his fair face, his royal degree,
             He’s nae bonny tae me is bloody Charlie.

He let the cursed Government choose the battleground,
Had us stand in our thousands as their cannon did sound.
For near an hour we waited for his order to attack,
Till a third of our army lay in blood at our back.

 CHORUS

Our charge was met by bayonet, by musket and grapeshot,
But astride his grey gelding “Bonny” Charlie saw it not.
When the smoke cleared from their guns, we glimpsed hundreds lying dead,
And we turned in retreat to find Charlie had fled.

 CHORUS

Those of us still able we sped back to the hills,
The wounded who remained, by the troopers were killed,
All hope fled from our hearts, as they blazed into our land,
Those regiments of evil under “Butcher” Cumberland.

 CHORUS

How I escaped their slaughter I never shall tell,
It’s my shame and my sorrow and will haunt me to hell.
But I swear I’ve told you true by the sword I cannae weald,
We should spit at Charlie’s name after Culloden field.

 CHORUS
 

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