Song Lyrics

The Lowlands of Holland
The love that I have chosen was to my heart's content.
The salt sea shall be frozen before that I repent.
Repent it I shall never until the day I die

But the lowlands of Holland have parted my love and I.
The very night we got married and lay upon our bed
A pressgang came to my bedside and stood at my bedhead
Saying, Arise arise you new married man and come along with me,

To the lowlands of Holland to face your (fight the) enemy.
But Holland is a cold place, a place where grows no green
But Holland is a cold place for my love to wander in *
Though money had been so plentiful as leaves grow on the tree

Yet before I'd time to turn myself my love was stolen from me
Be still, be still, my daughter what makes you to lament
Is there ne'er a lad in our town can give your heart content?
There's lads enough in our town but ne'er a one for me

For I never had but one true love and he was pressed from me
*or (It's a wild inhabitation for my true love to be in)
There shall no mantle cross my back, no comb go through my hair
No firelight nor candlelight shall ease my heart's despair

And I will never married be until the day I die
For the lowlands of Holland have parted my love and me
Recorded by Patrick Galvin and (I think) Clancys

J Baird, Pd Traditional

The duration of The Lowlands of Holland is 3:19 minutes and seconds.