Twelve And A Tanner A Bottle

    * (MacKenzie / Will Fyffe)

      Chorus:
      It's twelve and a tanner a bottle
      That's what it's costin' today
      Twelve and a tanner a bottle
      Man it tak's a' your pleasure away
      Afore ye can hae a wee drappie
      You have to spend a' that you've got
      How can a fella be happy
      When happiness costs such a lot

      It's really high time something is done
      To alter the way the country is run
      They're no daein' things the way that they should
      Just take for instance the price of the food

      There's taxes on this, taxes on that
      While the people grow lean, the officials grow fat
      You have to admit it's a bit underhand
      Puttin' a tax on the breath of the land

      I used to meet old pals o' mine
      When whisky was cheap, went doon like wine
      Noo I don't see them I'm sorry to tell
      I slip roon' the corner and drink by masel'

      (as sung by Hamish Imlach)

I first heard this as a Harry Lauder song, but I don't know exactly how old it is.

XG