Category: Lyrics

Chorus

Ho ro my nut-brown maiden,
Hee ree my nut-brown maiden,
Ho ro ro maiden,
For she’s the maid for me.

Her eye so softly beaming,
Her look so frank and free,
In waking or in dreaming,
Is evermore with me.

O Mary, mild-eyed Mary,
By land or on the sea,
Though time or tide may vary
My heart beats true for thee.

And when winters over
And bright summer comes again,
I’ll fetch my nut-brown maiden
Down from the bonnie glen.

Oh the noble fleet of whalers out sailing from Dundee,
well manned by British sailors to work them on the sea; 
on the Western Ocean passage none with them can compare 
for there’s not a ship could make the trip as the Balena I declare. 

Chorus:

And the wind is on her quarter and her engine working free, 
and there’s no other sailer a-sailing from Dundee 
can beat the aul’ Balena and you needna try her on, 
for we challenge all both large and small from Dundee to St. Johns. 

There’s the new built Terra Nova, she’s a model with no doubt, 
there’s the Arctic and the Aurora, you’ve heard so much about, 
there’s Jacklin’s model mail-boat, the terror of the sea 
couldn’t beat the aul’ Balena, boys, on a passage from Dundee. 

Bold Jacklin carries canvas and fairly raises steam 
and Captain Guy’s a daring boy, goes ploughing through the stream, 
but Mallan says the Eskimo could beat the blooming lot, 
but to beat the aul’ Balena, boys, they find it rather hot. 

And now that we have landed, boys, where the rum is mighty cheap, 
we’ll drink success to Captain Burnett, lads, for getting us ower [sic] the deep, 
and a health to all our sweethearts, an’ to our wives so fair, 
not another ship could make that trip but the Balena I declare.

Rouse ye men of old St. Ronan’s Gather in from hills and commons, Ready aye to hear the summons, On, St. Ronan’s, on! Though we see no warlike foemen, Nodding plume or flashing spear, Call we forth the Border yeomen, Fame awaits them here Chrorus On St. Ronan’s, join the chorus Think of brave men gone before us While the banner’s waving o’re us On, St. Ronan’s, On! From the ages dim and hoary, Come the tales of battles glory, Linked with Border song and story, On, St. Ronan’s, On! Echoes wake in Leithen valley, Plora’s shade and broad Minch Muir; Stalwart lads will gladly rally From the Vale of Quair Sons from far, with joy we meet you, Old time friends will kindly treat you, Border maidens fair will greet you, On St. Ronan’s, On! Shades of great ones hover near us, Wilson, Hogg and Glassford Bell, Scott the minstrel’s song will cheer us, By St. Ronan’s well For the freedom bought so dearly For the land we love sincerely At the Games we’ll gather yearly On, St. Ronan’s, On! We have rights and we’ll preserve them Honest men have naught to fear Customs old and we’ll observe them Each returning year Chorus

It was in the month of May my bonny lassie o
It was in the month of May my bonny lassie o

It was in the month of May
When the flowers they were gay
And the lambs did sport and play, my bonny lassie o

CHORUS:
O the shearing’s not for you, my bonny lassie o
No the shearing’s not for you, my bonny lassie o
The shearing’s not for you
For your back it winna bow
And your belly’s rolling fu’, my bonny lassie o

Don’t you mind the banks of Ayr, my bonny laddie o

Don’t you mind the banks of Ayr, my bonny laddie o
Don’t you mind the banks of Ayr
When you drew me in your snare
And you left me in despair, my bonny laddie o

Don’t you mind on yonder hill, my bonnie laddie o

Don’t you mind on yonder hill, my bonnie laddie o
Don’t you mind on yonder hill
When you swore you would me kill
If you did not get your will, my bonny laddie o

Tis you may kill me dead, my bonny laddie o

Tis you may kill me dead, my bonny laddie o
Tis I’ll not kill you dead
Nor make your body bleed
Nor marry you with speed, my bonny lassie o

The news from Moidart cam yestreen
Will soon gar mony ferlie
For ships o’ war have just come in
And landed royal Chairlie

Chorus:
Come through the heather, around him gaither
You’re a’ the welcomer early
Around him cling wi’ a’ your kin
For wha’ll be king but Chairlie

The Highland clans wi’ sword in hand
Fae John o’ Groats to Airlie
Have tae a man declared to stand
Or fa’ for royal Chairlie

The lowlands a’ baith great and sma’
Wi many’s the Lord and Laird
They declared for Scotias King and Law
Aye and wha dae ye think but Chairlie

There’s ne’er a lass in a’ the land
But vows baith late and early
Tae man she’ll ne’er gie heart or han’
Wha wadna ficht for Chairlie

Then here’s a health tae Chairlie’s cause
An’ be’t complete and early
His very name oor heart’s blood warms
To arms for royal Chairlie

Come through the heather, around him gaither
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a’ th’ githir
Declare him rightful, lawful king
For wha’ll be king but Chairlie

Summer’s a pleasant time
Flowers of every colour
The water runs o’er the heugh
And I long for my true lover
Aye waukin-O
Waukin still and weary
Sleep I can get nane
For thinking of my dearie
Aye waukin, O

When I sleep I dream
When I wake I’m eerie
Sleep I can get nane
For thinking of my dearie
Aye waukin-O
Waukin still and weary
Sleep I can get nane
For thinking of my dearie
Aye waukin, O

Lonely night comes on
And all the lave are sleepin’
I think on my bonnie lass
And blur my eyes wi’ weepin’
Aye waukin-O
Waukin still and weary
Sleep I can get nane
For thinking of my dearie
Ay waukin, O

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye

Loud the wind howls loud the waves roar
Thunderclaps rend the air

Baffled our foes stand by the shore
Follow they will not dare

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye

Many’s the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore did wield
When the night came
Silently laid dead on Colloden field

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head an’ a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by
We dare be poor for a’ that
For a’ that, an’ a’ that
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp
The man’s the gowd for a’ that

What though on hamely fare we dine
Wear hoddin gray an’ a’ that?
Gie fools their silks and knaves their wine
A man’s a man for a’ that
For a’ that, an’ a’ that
Their tinsel show an’ a’ that
The honest man though e’er sae poor
Is king o’ men for a’ that

Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord
Wha struts an’ stares an’ a’ that?
Though hundreds worship at his word
He’s but a cuif for a’ that
For a’ that, an’ a’ that
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that

A prince can mak a belted knight
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that
But an honest man’s aboon his might
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that
For a’ that, an’ a’ that
Their dignities an’ a’ that
The pith o’ sense an’ pride o’ worth
Are higher rank than a’ that

Then let us pray that come it may
As come it will for a’ that
That sense and worth o’er a’ the earth
Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that
For a’ that, an’ a’ that
It’s comin’ yet for a’ that
That man to man the world o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that

I went to church on Sunday
My love, she passed me by
I knew her mind was changing
By the roving of her eye
By the roving of her eye
By the roving of her eye
I knew her mind was changing
By the roving of her eye

My love’s fair and proper
Her waist is neat and small
She is quite good-looking
And that’ s the best of all
And that’ s the best of all
And that’ s the best of all
And she is quite good-looking
And that’ s the best of all

Oh, Hanna, loving Hanna
Come give to me your hand
You said that if you’re married
That i will be the one
That i will be the one
That i will be the one
You said that if you’re married
That i will be the one

I will go down by the river
When everyone’s asleep
I’ll think of loving Hannah
And then sit down and weep
And then sit down and weep
And then sit down and weep
I’ll think of loving Hannah
And then sit down and grieve

I went to church on Sunday
My love she passed me by
I knew her mind was changing
By the roving of her eye
By the roving of her eye
By the roving of her eye
I knew her mind was changing
By the roving of her eye

Twas Johnny the weasel that gave us the wire
They were closin’ our factory down
Tho’ we didn’t believe him and we called him a liar
The redundancy letters came down
As we read them in silence I choked back a tear
It is hard to believe after twenty-odd years

Chorus

Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the crack
Oh we gave them our best years, now they’ve paid us back,
By making us yesterdays men sure as hell
By making us yesterday’s men.

So we said our goodbyes by the factory gate
One cold Friday evening last year
And I saw it all there in the eyes of me mates
The anger the sadness the fear
Like our fathers before us we worked there with pride
Now we fought back the bitterness burning inside.

Now Ginny said sure give the kids a few bob,
After all it was Friday night
Ah, how could I tell her I was out of a job?
And now things were going to be tight
How well I remember it cut like a knife
I was never a day on the dole in my life

The machines now are silent, the workbench is bare
And there’s dust on the factory floor
They’ve boarded the windows and they’ve chained up the gate,
And they’ve padlocked the factory door,
And I’m on the scrap heap, and I’m thirty-nine
As one of the hundreds shot down in my prime.

Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates
Farewell to the paydays, the pints, and the crack
Oh we gave them our best years, now they’ve paid us back,
By making us yesterdays men sure as hell
By making us yesterday’s men.