Click here to play this song
Lyrics by George
Bruce Thompson of New Deer, Aberdeen
and submitted to Grieg's column in the 'Buchan Observer' about
1910.
Here presented as sung by The Clydesiders
This is no a sang o' love, an' it's no a sang o' money,
Faith it's naithin' verra peetyfu', an' naithin' very fun-ny;
But there's Heilan' Scotch, there's Lowlan' Scotch, there's
Butter Scotch an' hon-ey;
If there's nane o' them ataa then there's a mixter o' the three.
An' there's nae a word o' beef brose sowens sau-tie ban-nocks
naw;
Nor pan-cakes, paiss eggs fur them wi' dain-ty stomachs;
But it's aa aboot a meal-an'-ale that hap-pen't at Balmannock,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed on the spree.
CHORUS:
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
Noo McGinty's pig had broken loose, an' wan'ert tae the lobby,
Whaur he open shov'd the pantry door, an' cam upon the toddy,
An' he teuk kindly tae the stuff, like ony human body,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
Miss McGinty she ran ben the hoose, the wye wis dark an' crookit,
She gaed heelster-gowdy ow'r the pig, for it she never lookit,
An' she leet oot a skyrl thit wid a' paralyst a teuchit,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
CHORUS:
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
Johnnie Murphy he ran efter her, an' ow'r the pig wis leapin',
When he trampit oan an ashet that wis sittin' fu' o' dreepin',
An' he fell doon an' peel't his croon, he cudna haud fae greetin
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
An' the pantry shelf cam ricklin' doon, an' he wis lyin' kirnin'
Amang saft soap, pease-meal, corn floor, an' yirnin'
Like a gollach amang treacle, but M'Ginty's wife wis girnin'
At the soss upon her pantry flair, an' widna' lat 'im be.
CHORUS:
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
Syne they ran skyrlin' tae the door, bit whan that it wis tuggit,
For aye it heeld the faister aye they rugg'd an' ruggit;
Till M'Ginty roar't tae bring an axe, he widna be humbuggit,
Nae, nor lockit in his ain hoose, an' that he'd let them see.
Sae the wife cam' trailin' wi' an axe, an' throu' the bar wis
hacket,
An' open flew the door at yince, sae thick they aa wur packet,
An' aa the crew gaed rumilin' oot like tatties frae a backet,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
CHORUS:
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an' doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
They hid spurtles, they hid tattie chappers, faith they warna'
jokin',
Whaur they gaithered pig claw fur he wis never yokin';
Bit by this time the lad wis fou an' didna care a dokin,
McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
O there's eely pigs, an' jeely pigs, an' pigs for haudin'
butter,
Ay, bit this pig wis greetin' fou an' rowlin' in the gutter,
Till M'Ginty' an' his foreman trail't 'im oot upon a shutter
Frae McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
CHORUS:
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an' doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
Miss McGinty teuk the thing tae he'rt an' hid it in her closet,
They rubbit Johnny Murphy's heid wi' turpenteen an' roset,
Syne they harl't him wi' the meal an' ale, ye really wid suppose
it
He hid sleepit in a mason's troch, an' risen tae the spree.
O weary oan the barley bree, an' weary fae the wedder;
For it's keegerin' amang dubs an' drinks they gyang nae weel
thegidder,
But there's little doot McGinty's pig is wishin' for anither
O McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.
CHORUS:
Aw! they were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa an' doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed on the spree.
They were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' Tinkies;
Some wur playin' ping-pong, tiddley widdley winkies;
Up the haa or doon the haa ye never saw sich jinkies,
At McGinty's 'Meal an' Ale' whaur the pig gaed oan the spree.