The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #171925   Message #4159570
Posted By: Joe Offer
17-Dec-22 - 05:37 PM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: Lyrics to Huntin' the Buntin' (Stevenson)
Subject: ADD: Huntin' the Buntin' (Gavin Stevenson)
Jim Malcolm has it on his Resonance album, issued in 2000.
https://www.jimmalcolm.com/music/resonance/

HUNTIN' THE BUNTIN'
(Words and music Gavin Stevenson; arranged Malcolm; pub Grian Music)

A yellow hammer, could be a fitting term
Tae a gutless joiner
Ah but hardly well, could that lend itself,
Tae a sweet one-liner
I’ve often heard it called the Scots canary
And the name is tae my like
Tae me it’s aye been, and it’ll aye be
The bonny wee yella yite.

Yon wee yella-heided bird, I see rising frae the stour
A song o breid and cheese, brought on a summer’s breeze
Frae a post afore the muir
Brings fond memories back, tae a stony track
Where harebells nod, neath the rabbity whins
And winds its way below, yon wee beech row
That was shaped with the wind

Tis there where finer grass, starts giving way tae thresh
This foarer on, gives way tae heather
We sat yin nicht, by yon aul merch dyke
and a picture bricht, wis formed forever
As if a wish command, yon wee yite should land
An oh it was a jewel, a jewel set in all its splendour
Standing well out frae, all thon lichen shades o grey
One I was bound tae remember.

And weel I recall, a kindly soul that me and Davie,
We met way up yonder
As the wee yite sang, there came a nice old man
And he passed on to us, a thing o’ wonder
He wove us a rose frae the threshes’ heart
Wish I could lend fur finer setting
For o jist how yon aul man wove thon rose
See me, ah’ve ne’er forgotten
Repeat first verse.


I love this recording by Deaf Shepherd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAEQi4cOwcY

And here's a nature video titled "The Yellowhammer and its Call" V