Union Songs

The Red Clydesiders

A song by Alistair Hulett©Alistair Hulett

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Jimmy Maxton, James McDougall, Barbour, Gallacher and McShane
Agnes Dollan, Helen Crawford, up at the heid great John Maclean
These are some o' the Red Clyde siders, hundreds more I'd wish tae nane
A monument I'd raise forever, these are the flower of Scotland's fame

MacDougall fell apart in prison, came back oot a broken shell
They did the same tae young John Muir, eight lang months in the jaws of hell
His only crime was saying no tae slaughter in a rich man's war
Property is theft he said, don't die for what ye cannae live for

Rags and Tags for common folk, silk for money lenders
The old church pew, the white and blue
The kilt and the Young Pretender keep us sweirt
But what mak's them feart is wor pride in the Red Clydesiders

Every Sunday night at Bath Street John Maclean roared oot his speil
Thousands gaithered roon' tae hear him, he spak' loud and he spak' weil
Fifteen years I've been a sodger, fightin' for the cause he said
I'll no' stop now though ye might jail me, prison walls I dinnae dread

Notes

Many thanks to Alistair Hulett for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection

Visit Alistair's website at http://www.alistairhulett.com/

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union songs..........a selection by mark gregory