Sandy Denny: Eppy Moray

Four-and-twenty Highland men
Come from the Carron side
To carry away Eppy Moray for
She would not be a bride, a bride,
She would not be a bride.

Then out it came her mither for
It was a moonlit night,
She couldn't see her daughter for
The moon it shone so bright, so bright
The moon it shone so bright.

Hold away from me, mither,
Hold away from me!
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Should married be with me, with me,
Should married be with me.

They've taken Eppy Moray,
And a horse they've bound her on,
And they had rid to the minister's house
As fast as horse could run, could run,
As fast as horse could run.

( Then Willie he's taken his pistol out
And set it to the minister's breast,
O marry me, marry me, minister,
Or else I'll be your priest, your priest
Or else I'll be your priest.

Hold away from me, Willie,
Hold away from me,
I not avow to marry you
Except she's willing as thee, as thee,
Except she's willing as thee.

They've taken Eppy Moray then,
She'd better could not be,
And they have rid over Carron side
As fast as horse could flee, could flee,
As fast as horse could flee.

Then mass was sung and bells were rung
And they're away to bed,
And Willie and Eppy Moray,
In ane bed they were laid, were laid
In ane bed they were laid. )

He's taken the sack from off his back
And kicked away his shoes,
And thrown away the chamber key,
And naked he's lay down, lay down
And naked he's lay down.

Hold away from me, Willie,
Hold away from me,
Before I lose my maidenhead
I'll try my strength with thee, with thee.
I'll try my strength with thee.

He's kissed her on the lily breast
And held her shoulders twa
But aye she grat and aye she spat
And turned to the wall, the wall,
And turned to the wall.

All through the night they wrestled there
Until the light of day,
And Willie grat and Willie swat
But he could not stretch her spey, her spey
He could not stretch her spey.

Weary fa' you, Willie, then,
For you could not prove a man,
For if you gained her maidenheid,
She would have held your hand, your hand,
She would have held your hand.

Go away from me, Lady,
Go away from me!
There's not a man in all Strathdon
Shall married be with me, with me,
Shall married be with me.

Go fetch me a horse,
And fetch it like a man,
And send me back to my mither
A maiden as I came, I came
A maiden as I came.