Gillie Mor

[ Roud 21759 ; Ballad Index McSc143 ; DT GILMORE , GILLMORE ; words Hamish Henderson, tune trad.]

Dick Gaughan sang Gillie Mor in 1978 on his Topic album Gaughan. He noted:

I have gone on record elsewhere as saying I consider Hamish Henderson as one of the greatest Scots poets and songwriters. This song was written by Hamish as a message of solidarity from the blacksmiths of Leith (my home) to the blacksmiths of Kiev in the Soviet Union, and was sent as such by them. Gillie Mor is Gaelic and means, literally, the big lad. The guitar tuning used here is DAAEAE and the tune Hamish wrote the song to is normally called Whistle Ower the Lave O’t.

Lyrics

Dick Gaughan sings Gillie Mor

O horo, the Gillie Mor, whit’s the ploy ye’re on sae early?
Braw news sae tell it fairly, O horo, the Gillie Mor
News o him yon muckle callant, whistlin at the smiddy door
Tak yer bow for here’s yer ballant! O horo, the Gillie Mor

O horo, the Gillie Mor, come awa an gie’s yer blether
Here’s a dram’ll droun the weather, O horo, the Gillie Mor
Sons o birk an pine an rowan, Jocks an Ivans by the score
Swappin yarns tae cowe the gowans, O horo, the Gillie Mor

O horo, the Gillie Mor, nou’s the time the haimmer’s ready
Haud the tangs, aye haud thaim steady, O horo, the Gillie Mor
Gar the iron ring a’bhallich, gar it ring frae shore tae shore
Leith tae Kiev, Don tae Gairloch, O horo, the Gillie Mor

O horo, the Gillie Mor, here’s a weld’ll wear forever
Our grip thae cannae sever, O horo, the Gillie Mor
Ane’s the wish yoke’s us thegither, ane’s the darg that lies afore
You an me, the man, the brither - me an you, the Gillie Mor