A Man's a Man For a' That
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 the guinea stamp;
The Man's the gowd for a' that!
What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, 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 and 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, and stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that an' a' that, His riband, star, and a' that;
The Man of 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 maunna fa' that!
For a' that an' a' that, Their dignities an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher ranks 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,
May bear the gree, and a' that;
For a' that, an' a' that, It's comin' yet for a' that
That Man to Man the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that!
Sweet Forget-Me-Not
Fancy brings a thought to mind of a flower both bright and fair
Its grace and beauty both combine, a brighter jewel more rare
Just like the maiden that I know who shared my happy lot
She whispered when we parted last "you'll forget me not"
Chorus:
She's graceful and she's charmin' like the lily in the pond
Time is flying swiftly by; of her I am so fond
The roses and the daisies are blooming 'round the spot
Where we parted, when she whispered, "you'll forget me not"
We met I really don't know where, but still it's just the same
For love grows in the city streets, as well as in the lane
I gently clasped her tiny hand, one glance at me she shot;
She dropped her flower, I picked it up; 'twas the sweet forget-me-not
And then there came the happy time when something that I said
Caused her lips to murmur "yes" and shortly we were wed,
There is a cott down in the lane and a tiny garden plot
Where grows a flower, I know it well, it's the sweet forget-me-not
Home Boys Home
When I was a young boy sure I longed to see the world
To sail around the sea in ships and see their sails unfurled
I went to seek me fortune on the far side of the hill
Now I've wandered far and wide and of travel I've had my fill.
Chorus:
And it's home, boys, home; home I'd like to be,
Home for a while in me own country,
Where the oak and the ash, and the bonny rowan tree
Are all growing greener in the old country.
I left my love behind me as I sailed upon the tide
I said that I'd be back again and take her for me bride
But many years have passed and gone and still I'm far away
Now I know she is my own true love and waitin' for the day.
I've had my fill of sailing I no longer want to roam
Recalling love and laughter fills my head with thoughts of home
But money can't buy happiness and travel cannot bind
So I'm goin' back tomorrow to the girl I left behind.
Holy Ground
Fare thee well, my lovely Dinah,
A thousand times adieu.
For we're going away from the Holy Ground
And the girls we all love true.
We will sail the salt seas over
And then return to shore
And still I live in hopes to see
The Holy Ground once more.
I fear a storm a risin’
I feel it comin’ soon
And the skies so dark and cloudy
You can scarcely see the moon
The secrets of my mind, my love,
You're the girl I do adore,
And still I live in hopes to see
The Holy Ground once more.
[Fine Girl You Are]
Chorus:
You're the girl I do adore
And still I live in the hopes to see
The Holy ground once more
And now the storm is raging
And we are far from shore;
And the poor old ship is a tossing about
And the rigging is all tore.
And the secrets of my mind, my love,
You're the girl I do adore,
And still I live in hopes to see
The Holy Ground once more.
[Fine Girl You Are]
And now the storm is over
And we are safe and well.
We will go into a public house
Where we'll sit and drink our fill.
We will drink strong ales and porters
And make the rafters roar,
And when our money is all spent
We’ll go to sea once more.
Craigieburn Wood
Sweet closes the evening on Craigieburn Wood
And blythley awaukens the morrow
But the pride o' the spring on the Craigieburn Wood
Can yield me nothing but sorrow
I see the spreading leaves and flowers,
I hear the wild birds singing
But pleasure they hae nane for me
While care my heart is wringing
Chorus:
Beyond thee dearie, beyond thee dearie and
Oh, to be lying beyond thee,
O sweetly soundly weel may he sleep
That's laid in the bed beyond thee
I can na tell, I mau na tell
I daur na for your anger
But secret love will break my heart
If I conceal it langer
To see thee in another's arms
In love to lie and languish
'Twad be my dead that will be seen
My heart would burst wi' anguish
But Jeannie say thou wilt be mine
Say thou loves nane before me,
And all my days o' life to come,
I'll gratefully adore thee.
Johnny O'Hazelgreen
As I walked out one morning, right before the sun
I spied a fair young damsel making a dreadful mourn
I stepped up closely to her to see what she could mean
And a crystal tear fell from her eye for Johnny O'Hazelgreen
I said "My fair young maiden, what makes you mourn like this?
Are your parents dead and gone and left you in distress?"
"My parents they are both alive but I care not a pin,
For I only want my own true love, my Johnny O'Hazelgreen"
"Come tell me of young Johnny and where does he dwell?"
"He is the fairest kind of man that ever me eyes beheld!
He stands up tall and handsome, his shoulders broad and clean,
and his hair falls down in golden curls, my Johnny O'Hazelgreen"
So she did mount a noble horse and I did mount another,
We rode along together searching for her lover
We came unto a castle, the likes you've never seen
And who spied her there but her own true love, her Johnny O'Hazelgreen
"You're welcome to my father, you're welcomer to me,
You are the fairest maiden that I have ever seen"
He gave her twenty kisses before he let her in,
And now she is the noble wife of Johnny O'Hazelgreen.
The Mermaid
It was Friday morn when we set sail,
And we were not far from the land
When our Captain he spied a mermaid so fair
With a comb and a glass in her hand.
Chorus:
And the ocean waves do roll
And the stormy winds do blow
And we poor saliors are skippin' at the top
While the landlubbers lay down below, below, below
While the landlubbers lay down below!
Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a fine spoken man was he!
Saying, "This fishy mermaid has warned us of our doom;
We will sink to the bottom of the sea!"
Then up spoke first mate of our gallant ship,
And a fine salty sailor was he!
Saying, "I have a wife in Steveston by the sea,
And tonight a widow she will be!"
Then up spoke the cook of our gallant ship,
And a fine salty butcher was he!
Saying, "I care much more for my Lagostina™
Than I do for the bottom of the sea!"
Then three times round spun our gallant ship,
And three times round spun she;
Three times round spun our gallant ship,
And she sank to the bottom of the sea!
Log Driver's Waltz
If you ask any girl from the parish around
What pleases her most from her head to her toes
She'll say "I'm not sure that it's business of yours,
But I do like to waltz with the log driver"
Chorus:
For he goes birlin' down and down white water
That's where the log driver learns to step lightly, yes
Birlin' down and down white water,
The log driver's waltz pleases girls completely.
When the drive's nearly over I like to go down and
Watch all the lads as they work on the river
I know that come evening they'll be in the town,
And we all like to waltz with the log driver
To please both my parents I've had to give way, and
Dance with the doctors and merchants and lawyers
Their manners are fine, but their feet are of clay,
For there's none with the style of my log driver
Now I've had my chances with all sorts of men,
But none as so fine as my lad on the river,
So when the drive's over, if he asks me again..
I think I will marry my log driver!
