trad
On the 1951 recording of Jimmy McBeath, who shared the song with Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson, Peter Hall wrote that it was attributed to a Besom Jimmy from the late 19th century.
Chorus:
Come aw ye tramps and hawker lads And gaitherers o blaw
That tramps this country roon’ and roon’ Come listen ane and aw
I’ll tell tae ye a rovin tale On sichts that I hae seen
Far up intae the snowy north And south by Gretna Green
I’ve seen the high Ben Nevis A-towerin tae the moon
I’ve been by Crieff and Callander And roon’ by bonnie Doon
And by the Nethy’s silvery tide And places ill tae ken
Far up intae the stormy north Lies Urquhart’s fairy glen
Oft hae I laucht untae maself When trudgin on the road
Wi a bag o blaw upon ma back Ma face as broun’s a toad
Wi lumps o cake and tattie scones And cheese and braxie ham
Nae thinkin where I’m comin fae Or where I’m goin tae gang
I’m happy in the summertime Beneath the bricht blue sky
Nae thinkin in the mornin At nicht where I’ve to lie
Barns or byres or onywhere Or oot among the hay
And if the weather does permit I’m happy every day
I’ve done my share o lumpin Wi the dockers on the Clyde
I’ve helped the Buckie trawlers Pou the herrin ower the side
I’ve helped tae build the mighty bridge That spans the Firth o Forth
And wi mony an Angus fermer’s rig I’ve plowed the bonnie earth
Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond Have aw been kent by me
The Dee, the Don, the Deveron That rushes tae the sea
Dunrobin Castle by the way I nearly had forgot
And aye, the rickle o cairn marks At the house o John o Groat
I’m often roon’ by Gallawa Or doun aboot Stranraer
My business leads me onywhere I travel near and far
I’ve got a rovin notion Thare’s nothin’ that I loss
And aw the days my daily fare And what’ll pay my doss
I think I’ll go tae Paddy’s land I’m makkin up ma mind
For Scotland’s greatly altered now I canna raise the wind
But I will trust in Providence If Providence proves true
And I will sing o Erin’s isle E’er I get back tae youÂ