Ned of the Hill
Nathan Carter Lyrics


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Oh dark is the evening and silents the hour
Oh who is that minstrel by yonder shady tower?
Whose heart is so tenderly touching with skill?
Oh who could it be but a young Ned of the hill?

And he who sings "Lady love, will you come with me now?
Oh come and live out with me under the bough
I′ll pillow your head where the light fairies tread
If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill"

Young Ned of the hill has no castle, no hall
No bowman nor spearman to come to his call
But one little archer of exquisite skill
Has shot a bright shaft for young Ned of the hill

And he who sings "Lady love, will you come with me now?
Oh come and live out with me under the bough
I'll pillow your head where the light fairies tread"
But who would it be but young Ned of the hill?

And he who sings "Lady love, will you come with me now?
Oh come and live out with me under the bough
I′ll pillow your head where the light fairies tread
If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill"

And he who sings "Lady love, will you come with me now?
Oh come and live out with me under the bough
I'll pillow your head where the light fairies tread

If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill
If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill"

Overall Meaning

"Ned of the Hill" is a traditional Irish ballad that tells the story of a young man who lives in exile in the forest. The song opens with an eerie and mysterious feel as it sets the scene for a dark and quiet evening. There is a minstrel by a shady tower, and his heart is tenderly touching and skilled. The only person that could be is the young Ned of the hill.


The song goes on to explain that Ned has no castle or hall, and no one to come when he calls. He may not have anyone who is willing to fight alongside him, but he has one little archer of exquisite skill who has shot a bright shaft for him. Ned sings to Lady Love to come with him and live under the bough of a tree. He will make her bed where light fairies tread if she will only wed him.


Overall, the song is a romantic and somber tale of a man living on the fringes of society, longing for love and companionship. It speaks to the universal human desire for connection and belonging.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh dark is the evening and silents the hour
The evening is dark and quiet


Oh who is that minstrel by yonder shady tower?
There is a minstrel by the shady tower


Whose heart is so tenderly touching with skill?
The minstrel's heart is touching and skillful


Oh who could it be but a young Ned of the hill?
It could be nobody else but young Ned of the hill


And he who sings "Lady love, will you come with me now?
The minstrel sings, "Lady love, will you come with me now?


Oh come and live out with me under the bough
Come and live with me under the tree


I′ll pillow your head where the light fairies tread
I'll let you rest where the fairies walk


If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill"
If you will marry young Ned of the hill


Young Ned of the hill has no castle, no hall
Young Ned of the hill has no castle or hall


No bowman nor spearman to come to his call
He has no archer or spearman to help him


But one little archer of exquisite skill
He has one skilled archer


Has shot a bright shaft for young Ned of the hill
The archer has shot a bright arrow for young Ned of the hill


But who would it be but young Ned of the hill?
It would be only young Ned of the hill


If you will but wed with young Ned of the hill"
If you will marry young Ned of the hill




Writer(s): Nathan Carter

Contributed by Tyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@nedmilne4022

I could listen to you singing this for ever more Nathan. Thank you.

@breifneorourke.3400

Absolutely Beautiful version of this tremendous song I loved it immensely, thanks for posting.

@oscargarciamiguel6745

Preciosa voz. Precioso acompañamiento del piano. Bravo, desde España. 👏👏👏

@nancymaguire1697

Beautiful

@paulmagee941

Beautiful, well done Nathan !

@gabridelux453

Perfect version

@FinbarMagee

cool - lovely version

@dewaynestandridge

Love it!

@michaellowery9525

My sister Kathleen favourite song R I P