Lyrics:

Farewell ye dungeons dark and strong,
farewell, farewell to thee
MacPherson's time will no' be long,
on yonder gallows tree

Chorus:
Sae rantin'ly, sae wantonly,
sae dauntin'ly gaed he
He played a tune and he danced it roon
below the gallows tree

It was by a woman's treacherous hand
That I was condemned tae dee
Below a ledge at a window she stood
And a blanket, she threw o'er me

'Untie these bands from off my hands
And gi'e to me my sword
There's no' a man in all Scotland
But I'll brave him at a word

'There's some come here to see me hanged
And some to buy my fiddle
But before that I do part wi' her
I'll brak her thro' the middle'

He took the fiddle into both o' his hands
And he broke it over a stone
There's no' another hand shall play on thee
When I am dead and gone

The reprieve was comin' o'er the brig o' Banff
To let MacPherson free
But they pit the clock a quarter afore
and hanged him frae the tree