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The Twa Gadgies

[ Roud - ; trad.]

Joe Aitken sang Twa Gadgies to Peter Shepheard ar Pinemarten Sounds, Perth, in September 1988. This was released in 1990 on his Springthyme cassette If Ye’ve Never Been tae Kirrie.

Jim and Susie Malcolm sang The Twa Gadgies on their 2019 CD The Berries. Jim Malcolm noted:

A fitting end to an album entitled The Berries as this song was learned from the great Joe Aitken, a retired berryfarmer from Kirriemuir and one of the most outstanding bothy ballad singers in Scotland. Another wonderful song from the influential repertoire of the travellers.

Lyrics

Jim and Susie Malcolm sing The Twa Gadgies

Well I met twa gadgies doon the road, quarrellin like tae kill,
Gin it wis sax or sivven miles tae yon toon oot ower the hill,
Well I hae my supper in my pyok and a’ my time is free,
And be it sax or sivven miles tae some toon, well whit’s the odds tae me?

Noo I tramps the country up and doon, at monies an orra job I’m hired,
But I see nae sense in raxin masel, na I’ll nae work when I’m tired.
For I just need eneuch tae keep masel and my doss costs me nae fee,
And be it sax or sivven miles tae some toon, well whit’s the odds tae me?

Noo I’ve nivver taen tae the wimmen fowk, nae doubt they’ve nivver taen tae me,
So the road I maun tak is a lonely road, wi four wa’s noo I couldna fa’ tae,
And the bed I maun mak is a lonely bed, hin yon dyke or below some tree,
And be it sax or sivven miles tae some toon, well whit’s the odds tae me?

Well I pity fowk o gentle birth, tied up wi parasols and pedigrees,
Gin they could throw the shackles aff, then like me they’d be truly free,
For I wis born hin a dry stane dyke, hin a dry stane dyke I’ll die,
And be it sax or sivven miles tae some toon, well what’s the odds tae me?