Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up for War (Alistair Hulett)

Subject: Lyr Add: DON'T SIGN UP FOR WAR (Alistair Hulett)
From: GUEST,John Hamill Chairman Alistair Hulett Memoria
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 08:13 AM

DON'T SIGN UP FOR WAR
(Alistair Hulett)

See thon Arthur Henderson, heid bummer o' the workin, men    (leader)
When war broke oot he pressed his suit an' ran tae catch the train
He signed a deal in London, nae mair strikes until the fightin's done
In Glesga toon the word went roon'. Tak tent o' John Maclean   (pay heed to).

He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.
When they turned him oot o' Langside Hall, John stood up at the fountain
Whit he said was tailor-made tae magnify the friction
Ye patriots can roar and bawl, it's nought but braggarts fiction
The only war worth fightin' for is war against oppression.
He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.

The polis wheeched him oot o' there and doon tae Queens Park station (rushed)
They telt him plain offend again an' we'll mak' ye rue the day, son (told)
But Johnny didnae turn a hair, he ca'd for a demonstration
A mighty thrang ten thoosan strang turned oot against conscription    (crowd ten thousand strong)
He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.

The next time that they came for him, John kent they meant the business (knew)
He didnae plea for mercy, he said gi'e me British justice    (give)
The justice that he ca'd for stunned many intae silence (called)
When oot o' hell the hammer fell, three years was the sentence.
He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.

The clamour tae release Maclean reached fever pitch and mair, man   (more)
In a year an a' hauf they they ca'd it aff, but Christ it taxed him sair man   (sore)
He came back auld afore his time, but he didnae seem tae care. Man
Dae a' ye can, I'm still the wan wha'll cause ye tae beware, man.
He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.

The last time that they jailed Maclean he came gey close tae scunnert (to the brink of collapse)
Wi' a rubber hose pit up his nose they kept him swap suppert    (forcibly fed)
Let him oot or keep him in, Red Clyde was ower blaistert      (in an uproar)
Ilk wey they turnt the Government was weel and brawly gouthart. (which ever way) /(in a quandary).
He said a bayonet, that's a weapon wi' a working man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class. Don't sign up for war my friend
Don't sign up for war.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up for War (Alistair Hulett)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Apr 10 - 07:50 AM

Does anyone have the chords to this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up for War (Alistair Hulet
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 25 Mar 10 - 06:29 PM

A friend figured out how to get the text off the CD. It's given mostly as Jim McLean has it, with a few small changes and some translations.

Verse 1, line 1 has "thon" where Jim has "yon".
Line 4 has "went" instead of "gaed" (I'm not saying that Alistair sang "went", just that that's what he wrote in the lyrics file).
Verse 2, line 1, "o' Langside" instead of "at Langside".
Verse 5, line 4, "Dae" instead of "Be".
Verse 6, line 4, "was" instead of "were".

The translations:

heid bummer = leader
tak tent o' = pay heed to
wheeched = rushed
telt = told
thrang ten thoosan strang = crowd ten thousand strong
kent = knew
mair = more
sair = sore
gey close tae scunnert = to the brink of collapse
swap suppert = forcibly fed
ower blaistart = in an uproar
Ilk wey = whichever way
weel an' brawly gouthart = in a quandary

Subject: Lyr Req: DON'T SIGN UP FOR WAR (Alistair Hulett)
From: Jim McLean
Date: 21 Mar 10 - 06:16 AM

Jim Dixon, I've cut and pasted your posting and inserted the missing words and corrected a few misheard words.

1. See yon Arthur Henderson, heid bummer o' the workin' men.
When war broke oot, he pressed his suit and he ran tae catch the train.
He signed a deal in London: nae mair strikes until the fightin's done.
In Glesga toon the word gaed roon, 'Tak tent o' John Maclean!'

CHORUS: He said, 'A bayonet, that's a weapon with a workin' man at either end.
Betray your country. Serve your class. Don't sign up for war, my friend.
Don't sign up for war.'

2. When they turned him oot at Langside Hall, John stood up at the fountain.
What he said was tailor-made tae magnify the friction.
'Ye patriots can roar and bawl; it's nowt but braggart's fiction.
The only war worth fightin' for is war against oppression.' CHORUS

3. The polis wheeched him oot o' there, and doon tae Queen's Park Station.
They telt him plain, offend again an we'll mak ye rue the day, son.
But Johnny didnae turn a hair. He ca'd for a demonstration.
A mighty thrang, ten thoosand strang, turned oot against conscription.

4. The next time that they came for him, John kent they meant the business.
He didnae plea for mercy. He said, 'Gie me British justice.'
The justice that he ca'd for stunned many intae silence.
When oot o' hell the hammer fell, three years was the sentence. CHORUS

5. The clamour tae release Maclean reached fever pitch and mair, man.
In a year and a hauf, they ca'd it aff, but, Christ, it taxed him sair, man.
He came back auld afore his time but he didnae seem tae care, man.
'Be all ye can, I'm still the wan wha'll cause ye tae beware, man.'

6. The last time that they jailed Maclean, he cam gey close tae scunnert.
Wi' a rubber hose put up his nose they kept him swap suppert.
Let him oot or keep him in, Red Clyde was ower blaistart.
Ilk wey they turnt government were weel an' brawly gouthart. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up for War (Alistair Hulet
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 21 Mar 10 - 01:27 AM

I have the CD from which I was going to copy the text but unfortunately it's in a form not supported by the current operating system (Mac OS X) and I don't know if I can find a machine that still runs Mac Classic.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up for War (Alistair Hulett)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 08:17 PM

Alistair Hulett sang         DON'T SIGN UP FOR WAR on his album "Red Clydeside," accompanied by Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. Hullett's web site is still up although he died in Jan. 28 of this year. I didn't find lyrics, but there was a complete mp3 file: (Click to play.)

I did my best to transcribe it, and while I believe I improved on the previous attempt, there are still lots of gaps. I believe it will take someone more familiar with braw Scots than I to fill them in. I hope my spelling is acceptable:


1. See yon Arthur Henderson, heid bummer o' the workin' men.
When war broke oot, he pressed his suit and he ran tae catch the train.
He signed a deal in London: nae mair strikes until the fightin's done.
In Glesga toon the word gaed roon, 'Tak tent o' John Maclean!'

CHORUS: He said, 'A bayonet, that's a weapon with a workin' man at either end.
Betray your country. Serve your class. Don't sign up for war, my friend.
Don't sign up for war'

2. When they turned him oot at ??? Hall, John stood up at the fountain.
What he said was tailor made tae magnify the friction.
'Ye patriots can roar and bawl; it's nowt but braggart's fiction.
The only war worth fightin' for is war against oppression.' CHORUS

3. The polis ??? him oot o' there, and doon tae Queen's Park Station.
They telt him plain: 'Offend again an I'll mak ye rue the day, son.'
But Johnny didnae turn a hair. He ca'd for a demonstration.
A mighty thrang, ten thoosand strang, turned oot against conscription.

4. The next time that they came for him, John came fornent the pris'ners.
He didnae plea for mercy. He said, 'Gie me British justice.'
The justice that he ca'd for ??? intae silence.
When oot o' hell the hammer fell, three years was the sentence. CHORUS

5. The clamor tae release Maclean reached fever pitch and mair, man.
In a year and a half, they ca'd it off, but, Christ, it taxed him sair, man.
He came back old afore his time but he didnae seem tae care, man.
Be all ye can ??? will cause ye tae beware, man.

6. The last time that they jailed Maclean, he cam ??? close tae ???
Wi' a rubber hose put up his nose they kept him ???
Let him oot or keep him in, Red Clyde was our ???
??? the government was weel an' brawly ???. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: GUEST,Alistair Hulett
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 08:53 AM

Thanks all for those kind remarks. A nice thing to find in the Cafe.
Cheers,
Ally

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: GUEST,Duncan McF sans cookie
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 08:44 AM

Red Clydeside is indeed a grand CD - buy it from Ali soonest!!
Those hovering at the idea might also be drawn in by the fact Swarb fiddles on it - if I remember rightly, he has a real swooping part on that song - ace! - Duncan (McFarlane)
(One day we will cover it wi' th' band Ali - haven't forgotton promise!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 08:39 AM

Alisdair, there's a clip of you on Youtube performing the song:

Click.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: folk_radio_uk
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 06:00 AM

Red Clydeside is a great album, one of my favourites! It opened my eyes to a part of history I knew nothing about. I'd not heard of John Maclean until then or that the British Government had sent troops into Glasgow in 1919 to prevent a revolution...

Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: Peace
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 05:50 AM

Alistair, that is a brilliant song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: GUEST,Alistair Hulett
Date: 29 Feb 08 - 04:44 AM

Send me an email via my website, Goodbar, (www.alistairhulett.com) and I'll happily send you the lyrics. If you've got the CD the song is from, Red Clydeside, you can put the disc into your hard drive and all the lyrics are stored there and can be easily printed off. Well done deciphering the Scots language so well as you have, by the way. Others from much closer by than the the USA wouldn't all have managed to get nearly as much of it as you have.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulet
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 08:07 PM

Try searching for AlAstair Hulett.

You'll find his own site at: http://www.alistairhulett.com

And I'm sure Alastair will be delighted to help you with the tricky bits.

He's one of the good guys.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: Peace
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 06:26 PM

I think you can write to the author direct on this site.

And by the sound of the way he writes, he'd respond to you.

Subject: Lyr Req: Don't Sign Up For War (Alistair Hulett)
From: goodbar
Date: 28 Feb 08 - 04:13 PM

Anyone have the lyrics to "Don't Sign Up For War" by Alistair Hulett? With the thick Scottish dialect, it's hard for an American like me to pick all the words out.

Here's what I have so far...

See yon Arthur Henderson, heid bummer o' the workin' men
When war broke oot he pressed his suit and he ran tae catch the train
He signed a deal in London, nae mair strikes until the fightin's done
In Glesga toon the word gaed 'roon, 'Tak tent o' John Maclean!'

Chorus:
He said 'A bayonet, that's a weapon with a workin' man at either end
Betray your country, serve your class
Don't sign up for war my friend, don't sign up for war'

When they turned him oot ??? John stood up at the fountain
What he said was tailor made tae magnify the friction
Ye patriots can roar and bawl(?), it's not ???
The only war worth fightin' for is war against oppression

The ??? Park Station
They ???
But Johnny did nae ??? he fought for a demonstration
A mighty thrang ten thoosand strang, turned oot against conscription

The next time that they came for him John ???
He did nae plea for mercy, he said, "Give me British justice"
The justice that he cal'd for ???
When oot tae hell the hammer fell, three years was his sentence

The clammer tae release MacLean ???
In a year and a half, they cut it off but ???
He came back old before his time but he did nae seem tae care, man
??? will cause ye tae beware man

The last time that they jailed MacLean he ???
Wi' a rubber hose(?) put up his nose they kept him ???
Let him oot or keep him in, Red Clyde was our ???
??? the government was wheelin' ???