Author: David Gilfillan

Up aloft amidst the riggin 

Sings each fresh exalting gale

Strong as springtime in the blossom

Filling out each flowing sail

And the wild waves left behind us

Seem to murmur as they flow

Tender hearts are there to greet you

In the land to which we go

Chorus

Rolling home rolling home

Rolling home across the sea

Rolling home to Caledonia 

Rolling home dear land to thee

.

Like a thousand miles behind us 

And a thousand miles from home

Ancient ocean heave’s to bare us 

to that well remembered shore

And fresh breezes waft to guild us

To our childhood native skies

To the glow of friendly faces

And the beam of loving eye’s

.

Sailing eastward ever eastward

To the dawning of the morn

Sailing homeward ever homeward

To the land where we where born

And we’ll join in joyous chorus

Through the watches of the nights

For we’ll see shores of Scotland 

By the dawning of the light

We’re a’ met thegither here ae sit and tae crack,
Wi’ oor glasses in oor hands and oor wark upon oor back.
There’s no’ a trade amang them a’ could either mend or mak
If it wisnae for the wark o’ the weavers.

Chorus

if it wisnae for the weavers, what would we do?
We wadnae hae clati made o’ oor woo’,
We wadnae hae a coat, na, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wisnae for the wark o’ the weavers.

There’s them that’s independent o’ ither tradesmen’s work,
The women need nae barber, the dykers need nae clerk,
But nane o’ them can dae wi’oot a coat or a sark,
Aye they a’ need the wark o’ the weavers.

Oor sodgers and oor sailors, we ken they’re a’ bold,
But, faith, if they had nae claes they couldnae fecht for cold,
The high and low, the rich and poor, a’body young or old,
Aye they a’ wear the wark o’ the weavers.

Noo weavin’ is a trade that never can fail,
As lang as we need aye cloot tae keep a body hale,
Sae let us a’ get merry ower a bicker o’ gud ale,
And drink tae the health o’ the weavers.

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring’s a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I’m gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I’ll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Now Cape Clear it is in sight,
We’ll be off Holyhead by tomorrow night,
And we’ll shape our course for the Rock Light;
O Jenny get your oat-cake done.

And now me lads we’ll be off holyhead

No more salt beef no more salt bread

and have a chain to heave the lead

O Jenny get your oat-cakes done

Chorus (after each verse):
Whip Jamboree, whip jamboree,
O you long-tailed black man poke it up behind me,
Whip Jamboree, whip jamboree,
O Jenny get your oat-cake done.

Now my lads, we’re round the Rock,
All hammocks lashed and chests all locked;
We’ll haul er into the Waterloo Dock,
O Jenny get your oat-cake done.

Now, my lads, we’re all in dock,
We’ll be off to Dan Lowrie’s on the Spot;
And now we’ll have a good roundabout,
O Jenny get your oat-cake done.

As I was walking down the road
I saw my brother with a heavy load
I says to him, What have you seen
He says to me, I have a dream
In 1960 I thought I’d died
In Sharpeville’s bloody town
But I got up, I walked on tall
Nobody’s gonna put me down

Hawks and eagles fly like doves
Hawks and eagles fly like doves
Hawks and eagles fly like doves
Hawks and eagles fly like doves

As I walked on along the way
Saw my sister bend and pray
Says to her, Why do you kneel
She says, You don’t know how I feel
I had a little boy and a little girl
I loved to watch them grow
But they were butchered on the streets
In the blood of Soweto

It’s been a long, long, hard road
300 years since settlers strode
Into that southern land
Now they rule with an iron hand
Low pay, no vote, and pass book laws
Don’t talk back they say
But hawks and eagles will fly like doves
When the people rise one day

• The timeless tides are sweeping
• On the shores of Broadford Bay
• A quiet heart is waiting
• For the dawning of the day
• How bright the orange sunrise
• As the darkness fades away

CHORUS
Here we are you and I
On the bonnie Isle o’ Skye
Together walking in the morning sun

The restless clouds are drifting
The sunlight breakin’ through
To dance upon the diamonds
Of the early mornin dew
And soft the happy whisper
As I walk along with you

The calmness of the cuiillins
They slumber at their ease
Once more we walk together
At last a day of peace
And breaking through the silence comes
The call of homing geese

And now the summer’s fading
Farewell to broadford bay
A journey now is over
We must be on our way
And like the geese that leave you
We’ll be back again some day

By the cross our Andrew bore
By the sword oor Wiliam wore
By the croon oor Robert swore
Tae win oor Liberty

Ca’ the falcon frae the glen
Ca’ the agle frae the ben 
Ca’ the lion frae his den
Tae win oor Liberty

By the man wha’s faith was old
By the man they sold for gold
By the man they’ll never hold
Tae win oor Liberty

Ca’ the thieves o’ Liddesdale
ca’ the spears o’ Annandale
Ca’ the brave of Yattowvale
Tae win oor Liberty

By the arm that bends the bow
By the arm that plies the blow
By the arm that lays them low
Tae win oor Liberty

ca’ the banners frae the west
Ca’ the raven frae his nest
Ca’ the clans that dance the best
Tae win oor Liberty

By the field that once was green
By the shield that’s silver sheen
By the sword in battle keen
Tae win oor Liberty

Bless the man wha’s faith we hold
Bless the man in chains they sold
Bless the man in cloth o’ gold
Wha won oor Liberty

A gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady
He whistled and he sang ’til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

Chorus.

Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-doo-dah-day
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-day-dee
He whistled and he sang ’til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

She left her father’s castle gate.
She left her own fine lover.
She left her servants and her state
To follow her gypsy rover.

Her father saddled up his fastest stead
And roamed the valley all over.
Sought his daughter at great speed
And the whistlin’ gypsy rover.

He came at last to a mansion fine
Down by the river Claydee.
And there was music and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady.

“Have you forsaken your house and home
Have you forsaken your baby
Have you forsaken your husband dear
For a whistling gypsy rover?”

He is no gypsy, my Father dear 
but Lord of these lands all over.
And I shall stay ’til my dying day
with my whistlin’ gypsy rover.

And you say that the battle is over
And you say that the war is all done
Go tell it to those with the wind in their nose
Who run from the sound of the gun

And write it on the sides of the great whaling ships
Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die
And it’s we who must measure the loss

And you say that the battle is over
And finally the world is at peace
You mean no one is dying and mothers don’t weep
Or it’s not in the papers at least

There are those who would deal in the darkness of life
There are those who would tear down the sun
And most men are ruthless but some will still weep
When the gifts we were given are gone

Now the blame cannot fall on the heads of a few
It’s become such a part of the race
It’s eternally tragic that which is magic
Be killed at the end of the glorious chase

From young seals to great whales from waters to wood
They will fall just like weeds in the wind
With fur coats and perfumes and trophies on walls
What a hell of a race to call men

And you say that the battle is over
And you say that the war is all done
Go tell it to those with the wind in their nose
Who run from the sound of the gun

And write it on the sides of the great whaling ships
Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die
And we who must measure the loss
With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die
And we who will measure the cost

I wish I was home again at home in my heart again
It’s been a long time since my heart talked to me
Wastin’ my precious days wishin’ my life away
If wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets in the sea

Chorus

And if wishes were fishes I know where I’d be
Casting my net in the dark rolling sea
And if my net’s empty when it comes back to shore
I’ll throw it away and go fishing no more

And I wish I was young again my song still to be sung again
The sweet tunes of my life have gone sour and off key
Writin’ my tired old rhymes tryin to turn back time
If wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets in the sea

I wish I could care again reach out and share again
Mend whats been broken and let it run free
The older I get it seems the more wishin’ takes the place of dreams
If wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets in the sea