The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169843   Message #4106527
Posted By: Reinhard
18-May-21 - 01:10 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Baltic Street (Violet Jacob)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Baltic Street (Violet Jacob)
Here's the link, Jack: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/balticstreet.html

BALTIC STREET (Violet Jacob)

My dainty lass, lay you the blame
    Upon the richtfu’ heid;
‘Twas daft ill-luck that bigg’d yer hame
    The wrang side o’ the Tweed.
Ye hae yer tocher a’ complete,
    Ye’re bonny as the rose,
But I was born in Baltic Street,
    In Baltic Street, Montrose!

Lang syne on mony a waefu’ nicht,
    Hie owre the sea’s distress,
I’ve seen the great airms o’ the licht
    Swing oot frae Scurdyness;
An’ prood, in sunny simmer blinks,
    When land-winds rase an’ fell,
I’d flee my draigon on the links
    Wi’ callants like mysel’.

Oh, Baltic Street is cauld an’ bare
    An’ mebbe no sae grand,
But ye’ll feel the smell i’ the caller air
    O’ kippers on the land.
‘Twixt kirk an’ street the deid fowk bide,
    Their feet towards the sea,
Ill nee'bours for a new-made bride,
    Gin ye come hame wi’ me.

The steeple shades the kirkyaird grass,
    The seamen’s hidden banes,
A dour-like kirk to an English lass
    Wha kens but English lanes;
And when the haar, the winter through,
    Creeps blind on close and wa’
My hame micht get a curse frae you,
    Mysel’ get, mebbe, twa.

I’ll up an’ aff the morn’s morn
    To seek some reid-haired queyn,
Bauld-he’rted, strang-nieved, bred an’ born
    In this auld toon o’ mine.
And oh! for mair I winna greet,
    Gin we hae meal an’ brose,
And a but an’ ben in Baltic Street,
    In Baltic Street, Montrose!

Scurdyness: Scurdie Ness Lighthouse, on the South side of the River South Esk estuary, Montrose

‘Twixt kirk an’ street the deid fowk bide: Kirky Steps cemetery lies between Old & St Andrews Church and Baltic Street; according to Google Maps, that is - I've never been there.