Traditional Scottish Songs
- The Day We Went to Rothesay, O!

Here is a jolly song about going down the river Clyde to the resort of Rothesay - a popular trip for many citizens of Glasgow, particularly in July at the "Glasgow Fair".


The Day We Went to Rothesay, O!

One Hogmany at Glesca Fair,
There was me, mysel' and sev'ral mair,
We a' went off to hae a tear
An' spend the nicht in Rothesay, O,
We wandered thro' the Broomielaw,
Thro' wind an' rain an' sleet an' snaw,
And at forty minutes after twa,
We got the length o' Rothesay, O.

Chorus:
A dirrum a doo a dum a day,
A dirrum a doo a daddy O,
A dirrum a doo a dum a day,
The day we went to Rothesay, O.

A sodger lad named Ru'glen Will,
Wha's regiment's lyin' at Barra Hill,
Gaed off wi' a tanner to get a gill
In a public hoose in Rothesay, O.
Said he 'I think I'd like to sing'
Said I 'Ye'll no' dae sic a thing'
He said 'Clear the room and I'll mak' a ring
And I'll fecht them all in Rothesay, O.

Chorus

In search of lodgins we did slide,
To find a place where we could bide;
There was eighty-twa o' us inside
In a single room in Rothesay, O.
We a' lay doon to tak' our ease,
When somebody happened for to sneeze,
And he wakened half a million fleas
In a single room in Rothesay, O.

Chorus

There were several different kinds of bugs,
Some had feet like dyer's clogs,
And they sat on the bed and they cockit their lugs,
And cried 'Hurrah for Rothesay, O !
'O noo', says I, 'we'll have to 'lope'
So we went and joined the Band O'Hope,
But the polis wouldna let us stop
Another nicht in Rothesay, O.

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
mair-more
tear=a spree
nicht=night
Broomielaw=Glasgow docklands
Ru'glen=Rutherglen
gaed=went
tanner=sixpence
sic=such
bide=stay
eighty-twa=eighty-two
dyer's clogs=wooden shoes
lugs=ears
lope=run

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