The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #40412   Message #798743
Posted By: Jim McLean
08-Oct-02 - 04:32 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Glasgow/Scottish drinking songs
Subject: Lyr Add: SCOTTISH SABBATH (Jim McLean)
Thanks, Scabby Doug, for the answer.
Here's another song a wrote away back when you coudn't get a drink on a Sunday in Scotland unless you were a bone fide travellor or stayed in a hotel.
It has been recorded a few times and to save the effort of typing it out, I copied and pasted this from 'mysongbook.de' as sung by Hamish Imlach. The correct, registered title is actually just 'The Sabbath'.
Jim Mclean

SCOTTISH SABBATH
(Jim McLean) Tune: Sergeant William Bailey

Imagine you're in Scotland on a Sunday afternoon
Toora loora loora loora lay
Your throat is dry and dusty as a summer's day in June
Toora loora loora loora lay
A whisky or a shandy would suit you fine and dandy
But not a drop will ever come your way
To whistle or be merry or travel on a ferry
Would get you hung on Scotland's sabbath day

Two thousand years ago there lived a man in Galilee
Toora loora loora loora lay
And he was persecuted by the local Pharisees
Toora loora loora loora lay
For on Sunday he was willing to cure the sick and ailing
Or take five thousand people out to dine
T"he Sabbath Day", said Jesus, "was surely made to please us",
And then he turned the water into wine!

The ministers will curse and ban and threaten you with hell
Toora loora loora loora lay
Unless you can afford the price they charge in big hotels
Toora loora loora loora lay
In every land that's foreign, in England or in Holland
The pubs are never shut on Sabbath Day
But here they take communion and join in holy union--
"The Lord be with you, hic, come let us pray".
Jim Mclean