One of the largest collections of Scottish Ballads & Scots Folk Songs, lyrics, celtic music and downloads available on the internet.
Traditional Celtic Music, Scottish Songs & Border Ballads
Scots' musician, songwriter, & balladeer.
Hazel Whyte
Scots' Music
Glasgow I Used To Know
A simple brief
thought on Scottish
Independance.

Were the outdated
union not of some very
high value to England and
the English, why would
they fight so to try to
keep it?

There are only so many
slices to a pie, for one to
have more, another must
have less.

Lastly - to those Scottish
"Loyalists" - to whom are
you loyal?
Scots royalty died in the
1700's so it can be no
Scots crown - And
certainly not it appears to
those who came before,
that bled for Scotland
and her freedom !  
In the words
of Burns, as he
wrote from the heart.

Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victorie.

Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;
See approach proud Edward's power,
Chains and slaverie.

Wha would be a traitor-knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a Slave?
Let him turn and flie:

Wha for Scotland's king and law,
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Free-man stand, or free-man fa',
Let him follow me.

By Oppression's woes and pains!
By your Sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us Do - or Die!!!

Choose your destiny.
Oh where is the Glasgow I used to know
The tenement buildings that let in the snow
Through the cracks in the plaster the cold wind did blow
And the water we washed in was forty below

We read by the gaslight, we had nae T.V.
Hot porridge for breakfast, cold porridge for tea
And some weans had ricketts, some had T.B.
Ay that's what the Glasgow of old means tae me

Noo the neighbours complained if we played wi' a ba'
Or 'Hunch cuddy hunch' against somebody's wa'
If we played 'Kick the can' we'd tae watch for the law
For the polis made sure we did sweet bugger a'

You've heard o' the closet that stood on the stair
Oors had tae accommodate fifteen or mair
And the wee broken windae let in the fresh air
I sometimes went inside, ay but just for a dare

And we huddled together tae keep warm in bed
We'd nae sheets nor blankets, just old coats instead
And a big balaclava tae cover yer head
And 'God but it's cold' was the only prayer said

Noo there's some say that tenement living was swell
That's the wally close toffs who had doors wi' a bell
Two rooms and a kitchen and a bathroom as well
While the rest o' us lived in a single-end hell

So wipe off that smile when you talk o' the days
That you lived in the Gorbals or Cowcaddens' way
Remember the mice and the rats you once chased
For tenement living was a bloody disgrace
Tab/Sheet Music
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