Traditional: Collected Lyrics
146 / 291
Public-domain lyrics

He's owre the hills

Traditional

“He's owre the hills” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 146 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

He's owre the hills that I lo'e weel;

He's owre the hills we darena name,

He's owre the hills ayont Dumblane,

Wha soon will get his welcome hame.

My father's gane to fight for him,

My brithers winna bide at hame,

My mither greets and prays for them,

And 'deed she thinks they're no to blame.

He's owre the hills, &c.

The Whigs may scoff, the Whigs may jeer,

But, ah! that luve maun be sincere,

Which still keeps true whate'er betide,

An' for his sake leaves a' beside.

He's owre the hills, &c.

His right these hills, his right these plains;

O'er Highland hearts secure he reigns;

What lads e'er did, our lads will do:

Were I a lad, I'd follow him too.

He's owre the hills, &c.

Sae noble a look, sae princely an air,

Sae gallant and bold, sae young and sae fair;

Oh! did you but see him, ye'd do as we've done;

Hear him but ance, to his standard you'll run.

He's owre the hills, &c.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “He's owre the hills”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
Keep tracing

More from Traditional: Collected Lyrics.

01A good old SongPublic-domain lyrics02I canna be fashedPublic-domain lyrics03It's weel it's nae waurPublic-domain lyrics04'Twas na her bonnie blue e'ePublic-domain lyrics