Songs of a Childhood

Song Cycle by Buxton Daeblitz Orr (1924 - 1997)

1. Aince upon a day
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Aince upon a day my mither said to me:
Dinna cleip and dinna rype
And dinna tell a lee.
For gin ye cleip a craw will name ye,
And gin ye rype a daw will shame ye;
And a snail will heeze its hornies out
And hike them round and round about
Gin ye tell a lee, gin ye tell a lee.

Aince upon a day, as I walkit a' my lane,
I met a daw, and monie a craw,
And a snail upon a stane.
Up gaed the daw and didna shame me:
Up gaed ilk craw and didna name me:
But the wee snail heezed its hornies out
And hik'd them round and round about
And -- goggled at me.

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2. Auld Mrs. Murdy
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Auld Mrs. Murdy in the Coo Gate
 [ ... ]

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3. One‑Man Band
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
He steps wi' a swing and a swagger
 [ ... ]

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4. Munebrunt
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Upon his hunkers sits the dug:
Scartin' ae lug and noo the ither;
then cocks his ee and glowers abune
whaur leams the mune thru caller weather. 

Puir baest, puir baest, 
wha wudna yowl, wi' liftit jowl an' lowden’d lugs,
gin he but thocht yon world o’ stanes 
was fou o’ banes for hungry dugs?
Puir baest, puir baest, wha wudna yowl!

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5. Shy Geordie
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Up the Noran Water
 [ ... ]

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6. The Boy in the Train
 (Sung text)

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Whit wey does the engine say 'Toot-toot'?  
Is it feart to gang in the tunnel?  
Whit wey is the furnace no pit oot  
When the rain gangs doon the funnel?  

What'll I hae for my tea the nicht?  
A herrin', or maybe a haddie?  
Has Gran'ma gotten electric licht?  
Is the next stop Kirkcaddy?   

There's a hoodie-craw on yon turnip-raw!  
An' seagulls! - sax or seeven.  
I'll no fa' oot o' the windae, Maw,  
Its sneckit, as sure as I'm leevin'.  

We're into the tunnel! we're a' in the dark!  
But dinna be frichtit, Daddy,  
We'll sune be comin' to Beveridge Park,  
And the next stop's Kirkcaddy!   

Is yon the mune I see in the sky?  
It's awfu' wee an' curly,  
See! there's a coo and a cauf ootbye,  
An' a lassie pu'in' a hurly!  

He's chackit the tickets and gien them back,  
Sae gie me my ain yin, Daddy.  
Lift doon the bag frae the luggage rack,  
For the next stop's Kirkcaddy!   

There's a gey wheen boats at the harbour mou',  
And eh! dae ya see the cruisers?  
The cinnamon drop I was sookin' the noo  
Has tummelt an' stuck tae ma troosers. . .  

I'll sune be ringin' ma Gran'ma's bell,  
She'll cry, 'Come ben, my laddie', 
For I ken mysel' by the queer-like smell  
That the next stop's Kirkcaddy!

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Total word count: 766