Ma Auld Cronie Tam
AN APPRECIATION OF GRIERSON GRACIE,
By J. M. HARKNESS.
Song.
I’ll sing o’ a cronie wha dearly I lo’e;
His virtues are mony, his vices are few.
Treat him fair an’ ye’ll find him as quiet as a lamb;
It’s a pleesure tae meet wi’ ma Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN
Ma Auld Cronie Tam,
Ma Auld Cronie Tam,
It inspires me tae meet
Wi’ ma Auld Cronie Tam.
When he plays his auld fiddle it mak’s ma hert thrill;
Ma faith! he can han’le the bow wi’ some skill.
Ye may travel owre Scotland an’ farer may gang
Ere ye meet wi’ the match o’ in a Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN
Tam is humble an’ honest an’ canna thole pride,
He never believed in a great show ootside;
An’ people wha jist mak’ religion a sham
Will ne’er be admired by ma Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN.
He aye tries his best, an’ nae man can dae mair;
But in spite o’ it a’ he is still ‘mang the puir.
Weel he kens that oor great social system is wrang,
An’ wad fain see it mended, ma Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN.
I hae roamed on the moors an’ the bonnie steep hills,
I hae listened tae sang-birds an’ sweet rimpling rills;
Oh! sae happy I’ve been in the simmer days lang,
Wi’ auld Nature’s delichts an’ ma Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN.
I sing wi’ great pleasure the sangs frae his pen,
A credit is he tae oor dear auld grey glen.
Noo, freens, come an’ join in the lilt o’ ma sang
As I sing in the praise o’ ma Auld Cronie Tam.
REFRAIN.
To the Lads who fought so heroically at the Battle of Loos on 25th September, 1915.
Song. Tune, “Hot Ashfelt.”
When they left the mother country to fight the barb’rous Hun
We knew they never would turn back till victory was won;
The fathers, mothers, sisters, wives were loath to say good-bye
To the gallant soldier-laddies in the H.L.I.
CHORUS.
You may talk about your Gordons and your Irish Fusiliers,
Your Black Watch and your Royal Scots and famous Grenadiers;
But for lads who meet the foemen with courage bounding high,
There’s none can beat the laddies in the H.L.I.
And when they’d crossed the briny and were marching through Boulogne,
And striding on light-hearted, “Tipperary” for their song,
The Ma’moiselles in ecstasy admiringly did cry,
“Oh! see the bonnie laddies of the H.L.I.”
CHORUS.
When at their post of danger ’midst the roar of shot and shell,
With poison gas discharging fumes as from the pit of hell,
On their courage and their steadiness commanders could rely,
For devoid of funk were laddies in the H.L.I.
CHORUS.
And when the order to advance came sounding low and clear
Our gallant Highland laddies answered gaily with a cheer,
Then at the foemen boldly rushed, their motto “do or die,”
And dauntless were the laddies in the H.L.I.
CHORUS.
All honour to that glorious band who fell to rise no more!
They died for Right and Justice, and they’ve reached a fairer shore,
Where the brave shall meet together without a tear or sigh,
There we’ll find those gallant laddies of the H.L.I.
CHORUS.