My faither is a baillie frae a wee fairm at Caiplie,
He worked on the land a\u2019 the days of his life.
By the time he made second he aye said he reckoned
He\u2019d ploughed near on half o\u2019 the East Neuk o\u2019 Fife.
He feed on at Randerston, Crawhill and Clephinton,
Cambo and Carnbee and big Rennie Hill,
At Kingsbarn he married, at Boarhills he\u2019s buried.
But man, had he lived he\u2019d be ploughing on still,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chorus:<\/em> I wisnae fir plooin\u2019, tae the sea I wis goin\u2019, Chorus:<\/em> My sons they have grown an\u2019 away they have gone, Chorus:<\/em> My grandsons are growing, to the school they\u2019re soon going, Chorus:<\/em> My faither is a baillie frae a wee fairm at Caiplie,He worked on the land a\u2019 the days of his life.By the time he made second he aye said he reckonedHe\u2019d ploughed near on half o\u2019 the East Neuk o\u2019 Fife.He feed on at Randerston, Crawhill and Clephinton,Cambo and Carnbee and big Rennie Hill,At Kingsbarn … <\/p>\n
For those days were his days, those ways were his ways
Tae follow the ploo while his back was still strong,
But those days have passed and the time came at last
For the weakness of age to make way for the young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tae follow the fish and the fisherman\u2019s ways.
In rain, hail and sunshine I\u2019ve watched the lang run-line,
Nae man mair contented his whole workin\u2019 day.
I\u2019ve lang-lined the Fladden ground, the Dutch and the Dogger Bank,
Pulled the big fish frae the deep Devil\u2019s Hole.
I\u2019ve side-trawled off Shetland, the Faroes and Iceland,
In weather much worse than a body could thole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For that day was my day, that way was my way,
Tae follow the fish while my back was still strong,
But that day has passed and the time come at last
For the weakness of age to make way for the young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tae search for black oil, in the far northern sea.
Like oilmen they walk an\u2019 like Yankees they talk,
There\u2019s no much in common \u2018tween my sons an\u2019 me.
They\u2019ve rough rigged on Josephine, Forties and Ninian,
Claymore and Dunlin, Fisher and Awk.
They\u2019ve made fortunes for sure for in one run ashore
They spend more than I earned in a whole season\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this day is their day, this way is their way,
Tae ride the rough rigs while their backs are still strong,
But this day will pass and the time come at last
For the weakness of age to make way for the young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the lang weeks of summer they spend here wi\u2019 me.
We walk through the warm days, talk o\u2019 the auld ways,
The cornfield and cod-fish, the land and the sea.
We walk through the fields that my father once tilled,
Talk wi\u2019 the auld men that once sailed wi\u2019 me.
Man, it\u2019s been awfae good, l\u2019ve shown them all I could
O\u2019 the past and the present, what their future might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the morn will be their day, what will be their way?
What will they make of their land, sea and sky?
Man, I\u2019ve seen awfae change but it still seems gie strange,
Tae look at my world through a young laddie\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"