Six popular Scotch songs/Neil Gow's Fareweel
NEIL GOW'S FAREWEEL.
You've surely heard o' famous Neil,
The man that play'd the fiddle weel,
I wat he was a canty chiel,
And dearly lo'ed the whisky, O.
And ay since he wore tartan hose,
He dearly lo’ed the Athol brose;
And wae was he, you may suppose,
To play fareweel to whisky, O.
Alake, quoth Neil, I'm frail and auld,
And find my bluid grows unco cauld;
I think ’twad mak me blythe and bauld,
A wee drap Highland whisky, O.
And yet the doctors a' agree
That whisky's no the drink for me;
Saul! quoth Neil 'twill spoil my glee,
Should they part me and whisky, O.
Tho' I can get baith wine and ale,
And find my head and fingers hale,
I'll be content, tho legs should fail,
To play fareweel to whisky, O,
But still I think on auld langsyne,
When Paradise our friends did tyne,
Because something ran in their min',
Forbid, like Highland whisky, O.
Come a' ye powers o' Music, come!
I find my heart grows unco glum,
My fiddle-strings will not play bum,
To say fareweel to whisky, O.
I'll tak my fiddle in my hand,
And screw the strings up while the'll stand,
To mak a lamentation grand.
On good auld Highland whisky, O.