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JOCK HAWK
Traditional

Tae Glasgow toon I went ae nicht tae spend my penny fee,
And a bonnie lass soon gaed consent tae bear me comoany;
I says, "I am a plooman lad and a stranger tae the toon."
She says, "That needna hinder ye tae jog it up an' doon."
 
We wandered up Jamaica Street an' roon the Broomielaw,
Whaur the organ lads play rich and sweet and fiddlers een or twa.
And as I passed in through the crowd I could hear the people say;
"Dae ye see Jock Hawk, he's got a miss, but he'll repent the play."
 
We gaed intae a tavern then, and I ca'd for the gin,
And the lads and lasses a' looked roon and smiled as I cam' in,
The sailor lads a' shook my hand and their welcome was richt free,
And ilka toast that e'er they gied was the bonnie young lass and me.
 
The spree gaed on wi' mirth and song till daylicht did appear,
When the bo'sun o' their ship cam' roon, says "All hands on deck appear."
The lasses gied a partin' kiss and the lads a' said goodbye,
And the hindmaist een as he gaed oot says, "Jock ye've a' tae pey."
 
My hairt it drapped intae my boots as they gaed oot the door
And the landlord he took haud o' me, says "Noo, lad, pey your score."
Sae I pit my hand intae my pooch, laid a' my money doon,
But I knew it wisnae near enough by the way he did froon.
 
They've ta'en fae me my watch and chain, my spleuchan and my knife.
I wonder that they didnae tak' my wee bit spunk o' life.
They've stripped me o' my Sunday coat, my waistcoat and my sheen,
And for my hat I ne'er saw that since first I ca'd the gin.
 
Sae come a' ye brisk young plooman lads this warnin' tak' fae me,
And never gang tae Glasgow toon tae spend your penny fee;
For I cam' back frae that ill place sae naked and sae bare,
So never again will I gang back tae tak' a spree nae mair. 
Footnote : One of many traditional songs warning young, 'innocent', ploughmen of the dangers of the big, bad city! This song was among the many collected by Gavin Greig.
 

 


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