Henry's Songbook

And gie's a song, the lady cry'd, and lay your disputes a' aside
What signifies't for folks to chide for what was done before them
Let Whig and Tory a' agree
Whig and Tory, Whig and Tory
Whig and Tory a' agree to drop their Whig-malorum
Let Whig and Tory all agree to spend the night in mirth and glee
And cheerful sing alang wi' me the Reel o' Tullochgorum

O Tullochgorum's my delight, it gars us a' in ane unite
And ony sumph that keeps up spite, in conscience I abhor him
For blythe and merry we'll be a'
Blythe and merry, blythe and merry
Blythe and merry we'll be a', and make a happy quorum
For blythe and merry we'll be a' as lang as we hae breath tae draw
And dance till we be like to fa', the Reel o' Tullochgorum

What needs there be sae great a fraise like dringing dull Italian lays
I wadna gie our ain strathspeys for half a hunder score o' them
They're dowf and dowie at the best
Dowf and dowie, dowf and dowie
Dowf and dowie at the best wi' a' their variorum
They're dowf and dowie at the best, their allegros and a' the rest
They canna please a Highland taste compar'd wi' Tullochgorum

May choicest blessings aye attend each honest open-hearted friend
And calm and quiet be his end, and a' that's good watch o'er him
May peace and plenty be his lot
Peace and plenty, peace and plenty
Peace and plenty be his lot, and dainties a great store o' them
May peace and plenty be his lot unstain'd by ony vicious plot
And may he never want a groat that's fond o' Tullochgorum

Repeat 1

(as sung by The McCalmans)

Whig-malorum - political nonsense;
sumph - fool, idiot;
fraise - fuss; droning; dowf and dowie - dull and melancholy;

[1959:] The reel tune Tullochgorum is, of course, even older than Skinner's day. A Mrs Montgomery of Ellon, whom John Skinner happened to be visiting, pointed out that this famous reel tune had no words, asking him to supply them. A political argument having broken out in the house at the same time, Skinner seized the opportunity and composed the Tullochgorum - in a rather longer form [than the four verses printed by Buchan: Come gie's a sang; Tullochgorum's my delight; There need na be; Let worldly minds]. (Norman Buchan, Weekly Scotsman, May 21)

[1970:] John Skinner [1721-1807] was an Episcopal minister in an age when the Scottish 'piskies' were as persecuted as the Papists, with a church in Longside, Aberdeenshire. He produced one or two goodish songs, but the one here given is by far the best of them, and was Burns's favourite song. [Six verses given 269ff] (Penguin Book of Scottish Verse 12)

[1986:] Based on the tune The Reel of Tullochgorum. The text of this song was reputedly written by the Rev. John Skinner about the intervention of a lady in a political dispute. (Notes McCalmans, 'Peace and Plenty')