Maybe this belongs in the Lounge rather than Midlothian history, although it certainly is history.
It sort of follows on from my post on the Park and Ride thread.
The "simple question" is:
What's "blaw"? (Eh..... I admit to knowing that blow is a banned substance, but I'm asking about blaw which obviously means something different in the context of this song.)
TRAMPS AND HAWKERS
(one of several versions)
Come a' ye Tramps and Hawkers
Ye gaitherers o'blaw
That tramps the countrie roun' an' roun'
Come lissen ane an' aw'
Ah'll tell tae you a rovin' tale
O sichts as Ah hae seen
Far up intae thae snawy north
An' sooth be Gretna Green.
Ah've seen the high Ben Lomond
a-towerin' tae the moon
Ah've been by Creiff and Callendar
and roond be bonnie Doune.
Ah've seen Loch Ness'es silvery tides,
And places ill tae ken:
Far up intae the snawy north
Lies Urquharts fairy glen.
It's aft Ah've laffed untae masel'
As Ah trudged alang the road
Wi' a bag o'blaw upon ma back
an' face as broun's a toad's.
Wi' lumps o'cake an' tattie scones
Cheese and braxie hams
It's nae thinkin' waur Ah'm comin' fae
Nor waur Ah'm gawn tae gang.
For Ah'm happy in the summer time
Aneath the bricht blue sky
Nae thinkin' in the mornin'
Waur at nicht that Ah sall lie.
If in a barn, or yet a byre
Or jist amang the hay
So lang's the weather doth permit,
Ah'm happy every day.
But Ah think Ah'll go tae Paddy's Land,
Ah makkin up ma mind.
For Scotland's fairly altered noo,
Ye cannae raise the wind.
But Ah will trust in Providence,
an Providence prove true,
Ah'll tell ye a' o' Erin's Isle
Win Ah come back tae you.
Home 
Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:14 pm
