Guise o' Tough

I gaed up tae Alford,
for tae get a fee
I fell in wi' Jamie Broon
an' wi' him I did agree

Chorus:        
Tum a hi dum do, Tum a hi dum day
Hi dum diddle, dum a dandy o

I engaged wi' Jamie Broon
in the year o' ninety wan
Tae gang an' ca' his second pair
an' be his orra man

When I gaed hame tae Alford
'twas on an evening clear
An' oot aboot some orra hoose
the gaffer did appear

I'm the maister o' this place
an' that's the mistress there
An' ye'll get plenty cheese an' bried
an' plenty mair tae spare

I sat an'' ate at cheese an' bried
till they did roon me stare
And fegs I thocht that it was time
tae gang an' see ma pair

I gaed tae the stable
my pairie for tae view
An' fegs they were a dandy pair,
a chestnut and a blue

On the followin' mornin'
I gaed tae the ploo'
But lang, lang or lowsin' time
my pairie gart me rue

My ploo' she wisnae workin' weel,
she widna thraw the fur
The gaffer says "There's a better ane
at the smiddy tae gang for"

When I got hame the new ploo'
she pleased me unco weel
But I thocht she wid dae better gin
she had a cuttin' wheel

We hae a little baillie
and Jamieson's his name
And he's gane doon tae Alford
an' raised an awfy fame

We hae a gallant kitchie lass
an' Simpson is her name
An' for tae tell her pedigree
I really wad think shame

She dresses up on Sunday
wi' a heid abeen the level
Wi' twa raws o' ivory
wad scare the very devil

Noo my sang is ended
and I won't sing any more
An' if ye be offended
ye can walk ootside the door

From "The Scottish Folksinger" 1973, Norman Buchan & Peter Hall (taken from "Folk Songs of the North East" by Gavin Greig