Cold Glencoe

So, I came across a fantastic song, called "Cold Glencoe." The lyrics describe the Massacre at Glencoe, from the viewpoint of the attackers. King William of England ordered the Massacre, against the MacDonald clan in the Highlands of Scotland, after the clan was a day late in an oath of allegiance. 120 soldiers killed around 40 of the clan, having spent the last several weeks enjoying the hospitality of the clan. In the coming days, another 38 members of the clan died of exposure, as their homes had been burned to the ground.

These lyrics stuck me particularly, because the viewpoint of the perpetrators of horrific events isn't something seen very often, in any kind of literature. The imagery is brutal, and the lyrist offers no excuses for the actions of the killers. In particular, the fact that in the fifth verse, the writer clearly says that the killing was done with pride, and during the act, the writer indicates no remorse, amazed me. In most writing that focuses around the killing of innocents, remorse and doubt are important parts of the story. In “Cold Glencoe,” it’s only in the last verse, after the act is done, that any of the men feel what they did was wrong.

Here are the complete lyrics:
Cold Glencoe
The north wind blew and the snow came down
We stamped our feet on the cold, hard ground
Though we were by duty pressed
We looked for shelter; we asked for rest

We knocked the door as free men should
They gave us drink, and they gave us food
They took us all in every man
We lived within as we made our plans

Know us by our hearts, know us by our shame
Know us by the part we played in William’s game

We did abide with them for many days
We raised the glass and sang their praise
They’d saved us from a fearful plight
But we cut them down in the dead of night

As they slept upon their beds,
We stabbed their backs and cracked their heads
Though some few did take to flight
They froze to death in the pale moonlight

Know us by our hearts, know us by our shame
Know us by the part we played in William’s game

Our deadly work we did with pride
The ground ran red with blood that night
As quietly we went around
And burned their houses to the ground

Sisters and their brothers cried
Children watched their mothers die
We did our worst, and we did it well
We damned our immortal souls to hell

Know us by our hearts, know us by our shame
Know us by the part we played in William’s game

We saw our work by the light of day
Some fell to their knees and prayed
Some thought hard upon our fate
As men that history would hate

Hear me as I speak to you of all the evil men can do
There is none worse that I know than what we did at cold Glencoe

Know us by our hearts, know us by our shame
Know us by the part we played in William’s game

All in all, I think that “Cold Glencoe,” is one of my favorite songs, and some of the best-written lyrics I have heard.