Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
Fife was a shadow across the Forth as the Granton boat pulled out,
Over the sea and the solid earth the mist lay all about,
And a rising wind from the Isle of May o’er the ruffled waters strode,
And blew us a clear October day to ride on the Highland Road.
Chorus:
The Highland Road’s been sung before and will be sung again,
So long as singers give thanks for good in the way of honest men,
Let him who will be contrary, the wise man will agree,
And sing again the Highland Road, the Highland Road for me.
There’s a winding road from Glenfarg to the mouth of the river Tay,
The mountains beckon beyond Dunkeld to lead us on our way,
Now Killicrankie’s famous Pass, a battle lost and won,
From the old enchanted Atholl lands, grim heart of Caledon.
Chorus:
The Highland Road’s been sung before and will be sung again,
So long as singers give thanks for good in the way of honest men,
Let him who will be contrary, the wise man will agree,
And sing again the Highland Road, the Highland Road for me.
Now the Highland Road is a rugged road, from the Tay to the Northern shore,
A man may rise in Edinburgh town and rest in Aviemore,
Now here’s to the railroad running north and the day that gave it due,
From the greying spires of the ancient town to the moon of the Lairig Gru.
Chorus:
The Highland Road’s been sung before and will be sung again,
So long as singers give thanks for good in the way of honest men,
Let him who will be contrary, the wise man will agree,
It’s the North Road, the Atholl Road, the Highland Road for me.
Notes from The McCalmans’ album “Festival Lights. The Highland road in question was the old road between Edinburgh and Inverness, when the ferry went from Granton, and threaded its way through Glen Farg, Dunkeld and onwards through the Grampians. When the poem was written at the beginning of the century the marvel was getting from Edinburgh to Inverness in one day. With the traffic on the A9 these days, nothing has changed.