"The Broom of the Cowdenknowes" (Traditional Scottish, c. late 17th century)

[Intro] (Acoustic guitar fingerpicking, gentle fiddle enters, soft brushed percussion) [Verse 1] O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom, The broom of the Cowdenknowes, Where I and my true love were wont to gae, Among the broom of the Cowdenknowes. [Verse 2] The laverock sings upon the wing, The plover cries on high, But never a bird on earth can sing, Like the bonny bird that's by my side. [Chorus] (Warm vocal harmonies enter) Among the broom of the Cowdenknowes, Where the river runs so clear, We walk the path the seasons know, And leave the weight of every year. [Instrumental Break] (Fiddle and mandolin weave a gentle melody, guitar keeps steady rhythm, light harmony hums underneath) [Verse 3] The heather paints the hillside gold, The wind rolls down the glen, I gather what the summers hold, And sing the old songs once again. [Chorus] (Warm vocal harmonies, fuller arrangement) Among the broom of the Cowdenknowes, Where the river runs so clear, We walk the path the seasons know, And leave the weight of every year. [Outro] (Guitar fades, solo fiddle holds a gentle phrase, soft breath, natural room ambience)