Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir

Subject: Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir
From: Keital
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 12:55 PM

Hey 'Cats,
       Does anyone out there know the lyrics to
"O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir"?
                      Thanks,
                         Keital

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir
From: GUEST,Cluin (at girlfriend's)
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 01:44 PM

Got those at home. Will post later if no one beats me to it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir
From: MMario
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 02:20 PM

'Gin I were a baron's heir in the forum -

there is a midi on the contemplator site.

Subject: Lyr Add: GIN I WERE A BARON'S HEIR
From: Cluin
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 12:34 AM

Dougie MacLean's version, from his "Craigie Dhu" recording:

GIN I WERE A BARON'S HEIR

Gin I were a baron's heir
And could I braid wi' gems your hair
And mak' ye braw as ye are fair
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?
And I would tak' ye tae the toon
And shaw ye braw sichts mony an ane
And busk ye wi' a silken goon
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?

Or should ye be content to prove
In lowly life, unfading love
A hairt that nought on earth could move?
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?
And ere the lavrock wings the sky
Say would ye tae the forest hie
And work wi' me sae merrily?
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?

And when the braw moon glistens o'er
Oor wee bit bield and heathery muir
Will ye nae greet that we're sae puir?
Lassie, for I lo'e ye?
For I hae naught tae offer ye
Nae gowd frae mine; nae pearl frae sea
Nor am I come o' high degree
Lassie, but I lo'e ye!

Have Anglicized version of the lyrics too, for those who say "Eh? What's that language yer singin' in?"

But, as with the English translation of "Un Canadien Errant", it's just not as good a song that way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O
From: masato sakurai
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 03:59 AM

Cluin's version is almost identical with the one ("O Gin I Were a Baron's Heir") in 101 Scottish Songs by Norman Buchan (Collins, 1962, p. 110; with tune by J.W. Holder).
~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir
From: Cluin
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 09:42 PM

I'll bet that's likely where Dougie got from, Masato. I haven't heard any other versions than his. And I've been doing it for years (another one on the DADGAD list).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Gin I Were A Baron's Heir
From: GUEST,lish
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 02:29 AM

anyone got the chords or the tab for this one?

Subject: Chords Add: GIN I WERE A BARON'S HEIR
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 03:27 AM

[D]Gin I were a baron's heir
And[G] could I[D] braid wi'[A] gems your hair
And[D] mak' ye braw as ye are fair
[G]Lassie, [D]wad ye[A] lo'e[D] me?
And I would tak' ye tae the toon
And[G] shaw ye[D] braw sichts[A] mony an ane
And[D] busk ye wi' a silken goon
[G]Lassie,[D] wad ye[A] lo'e[D] me?

Or should ye be content to prove
In lowly life, unfading love
A hairt that nought on earth could move?
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?
And ere the lavrock wings the sky
Say would ye tae the forest hie
And work wi' me sae merrily?
Lassie, wad ye lo'e me?

And when the braw moon glistens o'er
Oor wee bit bield and heathery muir
Will ye nae greet that we're sae puir?
Lassie, for I lo'e ye?
For I hae naught tae offer ye
Nae gowd frae mine; nae pearl frae sea
Nor am I come o' high degree
Lassie, but I lo'e ye!



These are the shapes I use in standard tuning, but capoed up 3 frets so singing in the Key of F. It is one of these songs which benefit enormously from a Drop -D tuning if you are not using DADGAD. I actually use 2 Shubb capos on this, one across the six strings at the first fret, and on across the top five strings at the third. This gives the Drop-D effect without having to alter the tuning.