> Folk Music > Songs > Whaur Will We Gang

Whaur Will We Gang

[ Roud - ; DT WHARGANG ; Mudcat 25159 ; Andy Mitchell]

Andy Mitchell sang his song Whaur Will Whe Gang on the digital Bandcamp album The Land We Call Home that accompanied his book of the same name.

Cilla Fisher sang song Whaur Will We Gang in 1983 on her Kettle album Songs of the Fishing.

Ross Kennedy sang Whaur Will We Gang in 2007 on his Greentrax album Scottish Voice and Acoustic Guitar. He noted:

I originally heard this excellent Andy Mitchell song sung unaccompanied, a beautiful and poignant song, lamenting the loss of the fishing industry.

Lyrics

Cilla Fisher sings Whaur Will We Gang

I mind the days when they worked at the driftnet
And the Clydesmen a’ went tae the ringnet sae fine
But a’ thae tried methods have noo been ower taken
For the sake o’ fortune and keeping wi’ time.

And what will we dae when the Minch is a’ finished
An whit will we dae when the Herrin’s a’ done?
An whaur will we gang wi’ oor Pursers and trawlers
And how will we ever pay off the bank loan?

There’s still some good shotties o’ Mackerel off Cornwall
So we’ll a’ head doon sooth and scrape up whit’s left there
We’ll fill up the fishhold and nae fear the future
But soon there’ll be Mackerel off Cornwall nae mair.

Blue Whiting’s in season oot there aff St. Kilda
So we’ll rig-up deep trawl and we’ll a’ head oot West
Wi’ tow after tow that’s a’ landed fir fish meal
But the Whiting will go the same as the rest.

And whit will we dae when the Mackerel is finished
And whit will we dae when the Whiting’s a’ done?
And whaur will we gang wi’ oor Pursers and Trawlers
And how will we ever pay off the bank loan?

Ross Kennedy sings Whaur Will We Gang

I mind the days when we worked at the drift nets
And the Clyde men all went tae the ring nets sae fine
But all these tried methods have noo been o’er taken
For the sake o’ a fortune and keeping wie time.

Chorus (after each verse):
And whit will we dae noo the Minches are finished
And whit will we dae when the Herrin’s a’ done?
Whaur will we gang wie oor pursers and trawlers
And how will we ever pay off the bank loan?

There’s still some guid shotties o mackerel off Cornwall
So we’ll a’ head doon south and scrape up what’s left there
We’ll fill the fish hold and nae fear for the future
But soon there’ll be mackerel of Cornwall nae mair.

Blue whiting’s in season they’re off o’ St Kilda
So we’ll rig up a deep trawl and head for out west
Wie ton after ton thats a’ loaded for fishmeal
Blue whiting will gang the same way as the rest.

And whit will we dae when the mackeral is finished
And whit will we dae when the whitings a’ done?
Whaur will we gang wie oor pursers and trawlers
And how will we ever pay off the bank loan?