THE AULD KIRK STEEPLE
Ae
efternn as I chanced tae stray Doon
the brae tae see the Tay Passing
by the auld Brae Well The
auld kirk hammer struck its bell Windering
wha the time would be I
looked at my watch twas ten past three That
clocks gaen daft I said to masel When
the clock replied your daft yourself Astonished
at this quaint reply I
looked upon the clock on high And
saw its big hand gi a shack And
heard it say “Come gies your crack” I
then sat doon upon the brae Tae
hear what it would really say My
worthy freend it then began You
really think yourself a man But
you’ve little cause tae hae complain And
say that I gaen insane Mans
days are numbered friend tak heed I’ll
be a clock when your lang deed And
freend when you become my age You’ll
be but a blot on history’s page Now
there’s my freend the factory bell I
hear its tingle now and then As
lassies late run doon the brae Look
up at me disdainfully Wi’
a touch of pity in their ee’ As
if to say haud on a wee Baker
MacFarlane looked after me for mony a year Oiled
my wheels and wouned my gear The
late Post Master followed him And
with his engineering skill The
Bakers place he weel did fill Now
Andra the Beadle tends to me And
tends me well you will agree And
that generous firm fae doon the brae Adds
something extra to his pay Many
of our youths went near and far Some
alas went to the war There
they bravely fighting fell Wha
played as laddies round the well Then
to the public I do say Thanks
for raising something for their memory Preserve
that spot within the dell Tae
him wha sang its praise so well Tae
wha found lifes ways gie hard Jimmy
Ferguson the unhonoured Bard There’s
another thing on Saturday night Beneath
your braw electric light Some
drouthy cronies meet At
the foot o’ Charlotte Street There
drinking doubting and quarrelling Till
well near twel when my hammer strikes the bell Wi’
some respect for the Sabbath day Each
ane hameward makes his way But,
Andra lad during the war When
you were serving in Bendalls Bar Mony’s
a poor rejected loon I’ve
seen gaen staggering yont the toun This
I couldna stand nae longer My
patience it had turned tae anger So
up I got and shook masel Wi
that the hammer struck the bell I
resolved to tell you people About
your freend the auld Kirk Steeple.
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