Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
The oil, the oil, the oil beneath the sea
And they didnae gie a bugger
What they did to you and me

Come all ye Texas oilmen and the Wall Street millionaires
The Sheiks frae far Arabia that's cam for what's no' theirs
And they didnae gie a bugger what they did tae you and me
There's profits lying waiting in the oil beneath the sea

They carved up oor country and they sellt it oot o' hand
The trusts and speculators who didnae gie a damn
For Aberdeen and Peterheid and Ross and Cromarty
Are nothin' mair than dumpin' pits for the oil benath the sea

They used to say there's nothin' here and that was oor hard luck
And then they came frae far and wide tae mak an easy buck
The money men, the profiteers and the Government agreed
Tae sell oor very heritage for the oil beneath the sea

The fishermen and trawlermen went working on the rigs
Farm labourers adn crofters went heading doon tae Nigg
There's money here for a couple o' years as any fool can see
Goodbye tae fish, goodbye tae land, there's oil beneath the sea

But now the oil is nearly done and the moneymen's gone away
They've left us here wi' nae bloody jobs and a hell of a lot tae pay
We've hooses tae sell, it's one bloody hell, the kids have tae move away
It's no' much fun when the rigs are gone and there's nothing to dae a' day

(as sung by Arthur Johnstone)

[1989:] Originally written by John McGrath for a play called 'Boom', this song has been updated by Aberdonian Danny Couper. Danny has kept a keen eye on his home town and the North-East of Scotland, and he has seen new industries like oil arrive and depart, leaving nothing for the people and few prospects for the future. (Notes Arthur Johnstone, 'North By North')