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24 Sep 21 - 02:57 PM (#4120849) Subject: Swinging In Dunbar From: Rivermusic George Machray wrote a song called Swinging In Dunbar. There is a verse about Fife. Does anyone know what the lines after Now Fife is a kingdom but it’s no got a king are? It’s got nice wee something or other and plenty of something else to buy yourself a nice wee who knows what, are the gist of the lines but I can’t make out George’s Scots accent! |
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25 Sep 21 - 04:58 AM (#4120900) Subject: RE: Swinging In Dunbar From: Megan L Now Fife is a kingdom but its no got a king Ye dine there ye'll talk a lang spin(spoon) Its got nice wee harbours and plenty o gowd(gold) tae buy yersel a nice we howf but if ye want tae get a life ye diny want tae move tae Fife |
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26 Sep 21 - 04:41 AM (#4120979) Subject: RE: Swinging In Dunbar From: Tattie Bogle Sorry Megan, a couple of corrections ( I have a copy of the lyrics that George actually gave me). “It’s got nice wee herbours and plenty o gowf (golf) Tae buy yersel a nice wee howf” (That’s how he has written herbours, as that is the Scots pronunciation.) |
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30 Sep 21 - 12:28 PM (#4121448) Subject: RE: Swinging In Dunbar From: GUEST The Fife verse. Noo Fife is a Kingdom but it’s no’ got a King When ye dine there ye take a lang spin It’s got nice wee herbours & plenty gowf You could buy yersel a nice wee howf But if you want to get a life Ye dinny want tae live in Fife 'Translation' Now Fife is a Kingdom but it has not got a King When you dine there you take a long spoon It’s got nice small harbours and plenty golf You could buy yourself a nice little house But if you want to get a life You don’t want to live in Fife |
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30 Sep 21 - 02:15 PM (#4121454) Subject: RE: Lyr req: Swinging In Dunbar (Geo. Machray) From: Joe Offer Here's a live performance by George Machray of "Swinging in Dunbar":I can understand quite a bit of this song, but not enough to do a credible transcription. It's a very funny parody of "Swinging on a Star." I've emailed George and asked him to post a definitive transcription. George wrote another parody called "No Fiddlers Like Folk Fiddlers" that was posted in a thread. It's a parody of "No Business Like Show Business." Great work, George! -Joe- |
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30 Sep 21 - 04:09 PM (#4121460) Subject: Lyr ADD: Swinging In Dunbar (Geo. Machray) From: Joe Offer George emailed the lyrics to me for posting. Thanks, George. SWINGING IN DUNBAR (George Machray) CHORUS Well would you like to live in Dunbar, and buy yersel a wee car Cos Edinbury’s no’ very far, or would you rather live in ...Ayr 1 Ayr is a toun that’s on the west side, it’s parked on the edge o’ the Clyde Its tatties & bacon are just sublime, & there’s Rabbie Burns if ye like a rhyme But if you don’t like midges everywhere, you dinny want tae live in Ayr CHORUS But you can always live in Dunbar, and buy yersel a wee car Cos Edinbury’s no’ very far, or would you rather live in ...Fife 2 Noo Fife is a Kingdom but it’s no’ got a King, when ye dine there ye take a lang spin It’s got nice wee herbours & plenty gowf, & you could buy yersel a nice wee howff But if you want to get a life, ye dinny want tae live in Fife CHORUS But you can (etc) ..........................., or would you rather live in ...Skye 3 Noo Skye is an Island full o’ fairies & lore, the Cuillin’s hard tae ignore There’s no’ many women but that’s okay, the sheep are gorgeous I’ve heard it say So if you can’t find a ewe tae catch yer eye, then I wid gi’e Skye a bye CHORUS But you can (etc) ..........................., or would you rather live in ...Wick 4 Wick is toun, that’s so far away, in winter they don’t see light o’ day The toun’s aye nervous cos I’ve heard it said, they’re still prone tae Viking raids So if rape and pillage makes you sick, ye dinny want tae live in Wick CHORUS But you can (etc) ..........................., or would you rather live in ...Leith 5 Leith wid be handy cos it's near tae the toun, but you canny wear anything maroon It's a nice wee port where the sun shines bright, the folk are friendly but they like to fight So if you want to keep your teeth, you dinny want tae live in Leith outro: Yes Dunbar’s a place you can’t beat, it’s got everything that you need There’s a wife-swapping club every week, throw in the keys o’ your car You could be Swinging in Dunbar Glossary: Yersel = yourself Edinbury = Edinburgh No’ = not Toun = town Tatties = potatoes Midgies = flying biting insects Dinny = don’t Lang spin = long spoon Herbours = harbours Gowf = golf Howff = in this case, a cosy small house The Cuillin = a range of mountains in Skye Wid gi’e = would give Aye = always Canny – can’t Maroon = colours of local rival football team https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1167956603222866 |
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02 Oct 21 - 04:16 AM (#4121625) Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Swinging In Dunbar (Geo. Machray) From: Tattie Bogle And if, like me, you didn’t quite get the reference to the lang spin ( long spoon), here are some possible explanations from some Fife ladies who run a specialist food store in Fife called The Long Spoon Larder”. “Well firstly, we are Fifers and if you know anything about Fife you will have heard that ‘it takes a lang spin tae supp wi a Fifer’! Some say that means that Fifers are miserly, i.e. you need a long spoon to get to the pot first. Others have suggested it’s because we are generous, that we are willing to share. Who knows the truth! What we really loved was the parable of the Long Spoon, which describes the difference between Heaven and Hell. In Hell, all the people sit around a large round table with a pot of stew in the middle, they only have long spoons. Whilst they can reach the stew, they cannot get the food to their mouths as the spoons are too long. The people are thin, malnourished, and miserable. In Heaven all the people sit around a large round table with a pot of stew in the middle, they too only have long spoons. But the people work together, they feed each other, no-one is hungry, no-one does without, and everyone is happier for it. This is our value, we believe, we can co-operate and work together, which makes life better for everyone. That’s why the long Spoon! It’s more than looking after our own interests and chasing only profit, it’s about doing something that brings you joy and is worthwhile and is driven by doing the right thing.” |