Loch Lomond
Steam Jenny Lyrics
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Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love spent many happy days
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
T'was there that we parted in yon shady glen
On the steep sides of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue the Highland hills we view
And the moon glints out in the gloaming.
You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Where wild flowers spring and the wee birdies sing
On the steep steep side of Ben Lomond
But the broken heart it kens nae second spring
Though resigned we may be while we're greetin'.
You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
On the bonnie bonnie banks
of Loch Lomond" is a traditional Scottish folk song describing the story of two lovers who part ways as one is sentenced to death. The song begins by describing the beauty of the landscape surrounding Loch Lomond—its banks, braes, and bright sunshine—as the singer recalls the happy days spent there with their true love. However, the joyous tone quickly changes as the narrative shifts to their parting in a "shady glen" near the side of Ben Lomond, a towering peak in the Scottish Highlands. The mood becomes especially melancholy in the final stanza as the singer resigns themselves to never seeing their love again, ending the song with the repetition of the chorus.
The most well-known interpretation of the song is that it describes the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745, during which many Scottish soldiers were imprisoned, deported or executed. The "low road" in the song refers to the tradition of sending a prisoner's body back to Scotland along a low-lying road, while the "high road" represents the road of the living, taken by those who were spared such a fate. This interpretation provides a context for the final stanza, suggesting that the singer's true love has been sentenced to death, and they will never meet again.
Line by Line Meaning
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes
In that beautiful place, where the banks and hills are lovely
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where the sun shines so beautifully on the waters of Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love spent many happy days
Where I and my beloved once spent countless joyful moments together
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
On those lovely banks of Loch Lomond we were so happy.
T'was there that we parted in yon shady glen
It was there in that shady glen where we said our goodbyes
On the steep sides of Ben Lomond
On the steep slopes of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue the Highland hills we view
Where we see the Highlands hills in a purple hue
And the moon glints out in the gloaming.
And the moon reflects off the waters in the late evening
You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
You'll choose the easy path and I'll choose the harder one
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye
And I will reach Scotland before you do
Where me and my true love will never meet again
Where I and my beloved will never cross paths again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
On those lovely banks of Loch Lomond we were once so happy.
Where wild flowers spring and the wee birdies sing
Where wildflowers bloom and birdsong fills the air
On the steep steep side of Ben Lomond
On the steep side of Ben Lomond
But the broken heart it kens nae second spring
But a broken heart does not heal easily
Though resigned we may be while we're greetin'.
Though we may seem resigned while we are grieving.
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.