Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Hey, Johnnie Cope

Scottish Song By Adam Skirving

Hey, Johnnie Cope, Are Ye Waking Yet? (also known as Hey, Johnnie Cope, Are You Awake Yet?, Heigh! Johnnie Cowp, Are Ye Wauken Yet?, or simply Johnny Cope) is a Scottish folk song.

The song, written by Adam Skirving to a well known tune, gives an account from the Jacobite viewpoint of the Battle of Prestonpans. In the battle, which took place during the Second Jacobite uprising, Sir John Cope was the commander of the government troops, and was defeated in a dawn attack by the Jacobites.

The song includes several apocryphal incidents, including challenges conveyed by letters between Cope and his rival Bonnie Prince Charlie, as well as accurate accounts of Cope's cowardice. It also includes an account of him fleeing from the battle all the way back to Berwick, being the messenger of his own defeat, which is also true. The battle was a decisive victory for the Jacobites.


Related Scottish Country Dances

Deil Confound Me
Hey, Johnnie Cope
Hey Johnny Cope

Hey, Johnnie Cope By Adam Skirving

Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar:
'Charlie, meet me an' ye daur,
An' I'll learn you the art o' war
If you'll meet me i' the morning.'

Chorus
Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were wauking I wad wait
To gang to the coals i' the morning.

When Charlie looked the letter upon
He drew his sword the scabbard from:
'Come, follow me, my merry merry men,
And we'll meet Johnnie Cope i' the morningl

Chorus

'Now Johnnie, be as good's your word;
Come, let us try both fire and sword;
And dinna rin like a frichted bird,
That's chased frae its nest i' the morning.'

Chorus

When Johnnie Cope he heard of this,
He thought it wadna be amiss
To hae a horse in readiness,
To flee awa' i' the morning.

Chorus

Fy now, Johnnie, get up an' rin;
The Highland bagpipes mak' a din;
It's best to sleep in a hale skin,
For 'twill be a bluidy morning.

Chorus

When Johnnie Cope tae Dunbar came,
They speired at him, 'Where's a' your men?'
'The deil confound me gin I ken,
For I left them a' i' the morning.

Chorus

'Now Johnnie, troth, ye werena blate
To come wi' news o' your ain defeat,
And leave your men in sic a strait
Sae early in the morning.

Chorus

'I' faith,' quo' Johnnie, 'I got sic flegs
Wi' their claymores an' philabegs;
If I face them again, deil break my legs!
Sae I wish you a' gude morning'.

Chorus


Hey, Johnnie Cope Song Video

Hey, Johnnie Cope Song - Information Video
Sir John Cope
Sir John Cope (1690-1760), c. 1730


The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Hey, Johnnie Cope article on Wikisource.
Image copyright Willaim Aikmann (www.artuk.org) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Back to the top of this 'Hey, Johnnie Cope Song' page