I am strongly of the opinion that racism and bigotry should be opposed everywhere it is met, I am also of the opinion that racism and bigotry has its roots in misconception, ignorance, insecurity and fear. Here are three songs concerning travellers the first two are not funny songs but might be instrumental in education non-travellers to the harsh reality of life for the majority of travellers. The third song may be the "funny" song that 12string stan seeks

MOVING ON SONG
(Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger)

Born in the middle of an afternoon
In a horse-drawn wagon on the old A5
The big twelve wheeler shook my bed
You can't stop here the policeman said
You better get born someplace else

So move along, get along, move along, get along,
Go, move, shift

Born in the tatie lifting time
In an old bow tent in a tatie field
The farmer said, The work's all done
It's time that you were moving on

Born in a wagon on a building site
Where the ground was rutted by the trailer's wheels
The local people said to me,
You'll lower the price of property

Born at the back of a blackthorn hedge
When the white hoarfrost lay all around
No wise men came bearing gifts
Instead the order came to shift

The winter sky was hung with stars
And one shone brighter than the rest
The wise men came so stern and strict
And brought the order to evict

Wagon, tent, or trailer born
Last week, last year, or in far off days
Born here or a thousand miles away
There's always men nearby who'll say

or this one

THE BLUE TAR ROAD (Liam Weldon)

1
I am a true-born Irishman, a traveller am I,
My home the road, no fixed abode, I must travel till I die.
For few men give me camping space, aye and fewer call me friend.
The hard road for the travelling man, I must travel till the end.


Refrain
Hunger, hardship and poverty are the traveller's weary load,
Hunger, hardship and poverty and the blue tar road.


2
I came to Dublin city fair, in the year of fifty nine,
And I camped in Landsdowne's green valley , with others of my kind,
But Dublin's Corporation, good Christians to a man,
Broke down our camps uprooted us, dragged out our caravan(s). (1)


3
Out here in Cherry Orchard, no cherry blossoms bloom. (2)
We're forgotten and unwanted, in dirt and muck and gloom.
But the man above who died for love ah (3) nailed unto a tree,
Sure wasn't he a traveller the same as you and me.
And please God in his own good time, He'll lift the traveller's load,
And we'll bid farewell to poverty and the blue tar road.


Notes :
1. Landsdowne Valley, Dublin
2. Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, Dublin.

SMUGGLING THE TIN

Young Cooney (?) and Colley (?) and ould Martin Quinn, (1)
Well they made up together to smuggle the tin,


Refrain :
With me right toorin-arinan, right toorin-arinan,
Right toorin-anay.


2
Well they walked all the day boys till the heels they grew raw,
Well they hadn't the comfort of lying in the straw.


3
"I'll yoke her", says Colley (?) "I'm wise to her tricks." (2)
But the more that he yoked her, the more the mare kicked.


4
"The hills they are high boys, th'oul' mare she is thin,
And my heart lies a-trembling for fear she'll give in."


5
"I once had a pie-ball all covered in dots,
And it's many's the fiver she's won in the trots."


6
Up came th'oul' sergeant with a laugh and a grin,
"I'll have ye inside boys for the smuggling of tin."


7
Up came th'oul' sergeant with a laugh and a smile,
"I'll have ye inside boys for smuggling a while."


8
Young Cooney (?) stood up boys to make the excuse, (1)
"If you l(e)ave us all go sir, it's home we will scoot."
9
We crossed back the border, we blessed our ould face. (3)
"To hell with the black North, we're in the Free-State."
Notes :
1. Cooney (surname) and Colley ?
2. The word "wide" in Dublin slang means "aware" , "wise".
3. faith (?)

Fergie