Synopsis

The song concerns a member of a clan of Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 giants, one of whom, the Johnnie of the title, goes to visit London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and falls in love with the kings daughter. The king subdues Johnnie by giving him drops of Laudanum

Laudanum

Laudanum , also known as Tincture of Opium, is an alcoholic herbal preparation containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight ....

 and imprisoning him. However Johnnie manages to send a small boy as a messenger back to his relatives in Scotland and two of them come down to London to set Johnnie free. One of them succeeds in bypassing the city gates by punching a hole in the wall and after this feat they are able to find and free their relative unopposed. Their heroic visage and dire threats of retribution convince the king to allow Johnnie to marry his daughter and all of them then go back to Scotland.

Versions

• Battlefield Band
  Battlefield Band
  Battlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, there are no founder members in the band....
  
  recorded this song as Lang Johnnie Moir which has been collected on the album On the Front.