There'll Never Be Peace Till Jamie Comes Hame
written in 1791
There'll Never Be Peace Till Jamie Comes Hame - context Summary
Jacobite Longing in 1791
Written in 1791, the poem gives voice to an elderly singer whose repeated refrain, "There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame," expresses communal grief and political longing. It links personal loss—dead sons, a broken family—with wider social disorder: ruined church, a state in turmoil, and ongoing oppression. The refrain turns private mourning into a political hope for the restoration of "Jamie," reflecting lingering Jacobite sentiment that the return of the Stuart claimant will bring order and consolation.
Read Complete AnalysesBy yon Castle wa', at the close of the day, I heard a man sing tho' his head it was grey; And as he was singing, the tears doon came, There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame. The Church is in ruins, the State is in jars, Delusions, oppressions, and murderous wars: We dare na weel say't, but we ken wha's to blame, There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame. My seven braw sons for Jamie drew sword, But now I greet round their green beds in the yerd; It brak the sweet heart o' my faithful auld Dame, There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame. Now life is a burden that bows me down, Sin I tint my bairns, and he tint his crown; But till my last moments my words are the same, There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.
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