Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
Help us help us Tyr and Odin
Sons of heroes slain at Flodden
Imitating border bowmen
Aye defend your rights and common

Sons of heroes slain at Flodden
Met to ride and trace our common
Oral fame tells how we got it
Hear the native muse relate it

Henry who to kingly splendour
Added that of faith's defender
Sped his troops by General Surrey
Threatening Scotland's rights to bury

Royal James on this occasion
Sent his order through the nation
Heroes arm evince your bravery
Freemen scorn the chains of slavery

Stunned with shrieks of thousands dying
'Mid showers of darts and arrows flying
Sword in hand these gallant warriors
Firmly stood their country's barriers

Royal James still urged the battle
Tho' forewarned it would be fatal
Pressing hard the marshalled Southerners
Thus addressed the gallant Northerners

Now the struggle was unequal
Dreadful carnage crowned the sequel
Hardy Scots borne down by numbers
Strewed the field in death's cold slumbers

Spoken:
This is the end of it all
High and low, great and small
This finishes the poor vain show
And a king with all his pride
In his lifetime deified
With the beggar is at last laid low

(as sung by The McCalmans)

[1972:] Set to an ancient air, the verses were expanded by James Hogg. - Tyr the God of War and his son Odin entered Scottish folklore via Scandinavian mythology. (Stuart, Stories 58)

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=17606 (for older song, 'Teribus ye teri Odin')