Lyr Req: Singing the booze

Subject: Singing the booze
From: Wolfgang
Date: 21 Aug 02 - 09:42 AM

I once taped a song titled 'Singing the booze' from an LP by Alastair McDonald. Maybe he is also the writer, but I don't know. The accent beats me and I can't get even a start of a decent transcription. Maybe someone knows it and can help. The chorus starts like that:

MPs, Scottish MPs, you time's now up, gentlemen, please (to the tune: Bring back my bonnie to me)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Aug 02 - 07:19 PM

I don't know the song, but as Alastair is not normally a songwriter, this sounds suspiciously like another Jim McLean candidate ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Jim McLean
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 04:45 AM

Yes Susanne, I wrote Singin the Booze! I'll post the lyrics later. Cheers, Jim Mclean

Subject: Lyr Add: SINGING THE BOOZE (Jim McLean)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 05:41 AM

I wrote this when Winnifred Ewing became the Scottish Nationalst MP for Hamilton and accused Scottish MPs for spending most of the time in the bar in Westminster. I'll list who the names are at the end of the song. The tune is a mixture. The verses are sung to a student type rude song called THERE ONCE WAS A SPANISH JUANITO and the chorus is the first part of the chorus of MY BOONIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN. Last chorus is the whole chorus of MY BONNIE...

Now Winnifred Ewing's in trouble,
For telling how er're in a hubble,
She says oor MPs
Have got the DTs
And spend a' their time drinking doubles.

Chorus: So MPs, Scottish MPs,
Your time's up now gentlemen please.

She says they are aye on the batter, An' politics juist disnae matter,But Hannan, MP,
Says he is TT,
An' aye toasts Queen Lizzie in watter!

Way doon on the Borders tere's Davy,
Who swears that he never drinks heavy,
He might lose his sense,
An' fa' aff the fence,
So Davy steers clear o' the bevvy.

But wha could say Willie's teetotal?
Wi' a nose that looks pregnat an' mottled.
He's aye on the doss
Frae Berwick tae Ross,
That bulge at his hip's a half bottle!

And then there's that Scottified Limey,
He's sober, but sleekit an' slimey.
For efit a dram,
He's "Thomas", no' "Tam"
Instead of "Hoots mon" it's "Cor blimey"!

So Winnie, dannae be silly
And blame thae nice men on the telly.
For Scottish MPs
Drink nothing but tea,
The whisky's too Scotch for their bellies!

So MPs,
Scottish MPs,
Your time's up now gentlemen ple-e-ase,
MPs, Scottish MPs
Your time's up now gentlemen please!

Willy Hannan, Scottish labour MP, teetotal: Davy Steele, Liberal MP: Willie Ross Scottish Labour MP: Tam Dalyell, "Tam o' the Binns", Scottish Labour MP and Laird.

Cheers, Jim McLean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 03:41 PM

Before anyone suspects the late Davy Steele of having been a politician - I think you're talking of (Sir) David Steel there, Jim. And do you mean to say Tam Dalyell is not Scottish by birth, or at least from a Scottish family? Anyway, thanks for posting the words. Is there a recording still to be found?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 03:46 PM

BTW, I'm just listening to Enoch Kent singing The Wee Magic Stane live on Archie Fisher's Travelling Folk programme. Isn't the Web wonderful!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Jim McLean
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 05:14 PM

Yes, Susanne, Sir David Steele the liberal Politician and my point about Tam o' the Binns is that nationality is quite often a state of mind.
The song appeared on an LP called SCOTLAND FIRST, NEV LP 108, NEVIS RECORDS which I wrote and produced in 1970 with Alastair McDonald singing. It also featured possibly the first contemporary poem to John MacLean which I set to music The poem was written by J S Clarke while MacLean was in Peterhead gaol. Cheers, Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Mr Happy
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 03:27 AM

sir david steele, hmmmm..., no relation, i suppose, to tommy steele who sang 'singing the blues'?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Wolfgang
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 08:34 AM

Jim, thanks a lot. Once again it was you being the writer of a song I was after. Thanks too for the details of the recording with Alastair McDonald. I'm quite confident it is the one I have taped ages ago. That was in my youthful times when I didn't care noting 'minor' details like song writers or LP titles. I just wrote down the titles of the songs.

I once posted many years ago another song from that LP and as I know now wrongly guessed that Alastair McDonald might have written it. By now I wouldn't be too much surprised if that's another Jim McLean song: Prince Charles.

Susanne, I can't tape from a tape myself but I think my mother in law can. So next time when we see her I'll bring that tape with me for a copy...

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Singing the booze
From: Jim McLean
Date: 26 Aug 02 - 09:15 AM

Hi Wolfgang, yes I wrote the song and have answered it somwhere else I think! I'm not up to threads yet! Cheers, Jim Mclean