Thanks heaps to you Malcom Douglas. They were the very words I wanted.I wonder about the background tho' since I didt know about a connection with the Tannahill Weavers.
I came across the song whilst digitising some 20 year old folk brackets of made of friends with whom I lost contact over the years. It was too hard to get the lyrics clear from the audio and I liked it so much on hearing it again that I wanted to add it to my own singing repertoire.
Cheers, if you ever travel to australia drop in for a beer and a tune.
Andre