There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
There was none bolder, with good broad shoulder
He's fought in many a fray
And fought and won!
He'd seen the glory and told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
But now he's sighing, his heart is crying,
To leave these green hills of Tyrol
Chorus
Because these green hills are not Highland hills
Or the island hills they're not my land's hills!
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home.
And now this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
Sees leaves are falling and death is calling
And he will fade away in that far land!
He called his piper, his trusty piper
And bade him sound a lay
A pibroch sad to play
Upon a hillside, but Scottish hillside
Not on these green hills of Tyrol.
Chorus
And so this soldier, this Scottish soldier
Will wander far no more and soldier far no more
And on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
You'll see a piper play
His soldier home!
He'd seen the glory, he'd told the story
Of battles glorious
And deeds victorious
The bugles cease now, he is at peace now
Far from those green hills of Tyrol
A Drum Major of the 93rd Highlanders in 1896
The Green Hills of Tyrol is one of the best known, and oldest, tunes played by pipe bands today. The tune is a pipe tune The Green Hills of Tyrol that was written during the Crimean War (1853-1856) by John MacLeod, a Pipe Major in the 93rd Highlanders. He adapted it after hearing a Sardinian band play a continental tune. That tune was based on an Alpine folk tune, and had also been used by Rossini in William Tell. The song is usually known now as The Scottish Solider instead of The Green Hills of Tyrol because of the lyrics which were added at some time later.
When the Crimean campaign finally ended the 93rd were immediately dispatched to fight in the Indian Mutiny. In this campaign Pipe Major MacLeod distinguished himself at the siege of Lucknow when he was first through the breach and almost immediately began playing the pipes.
If you are using Netscape to play the tune click on the play button.
