Traditional Scottish Songs
- Oor Wullie



Oor Wullie Oor Wullie is a cartoon character from the "Sunday Post" whose long-running escapades have made him a Scottish icon. Here is a song written in tribute to the "lad o' pairts" which was composed for a competition many years ago by Ranald Alasdair MacDonald of Keppoch, who in more recent times has been confirmed by the Lord Lyon as Chief of the Honourable Clan Ranald of Lochaber Mac-Mhic Raonuill. It is sung "con spirito" in 4/4 time.



      Oor Wullie

Oor Wullie is a lad o' pairts and Scotia is his hame,
   His name is kent throughout the land and in the halls of fame.
Many a lad has read his tales and marvelled at his spunk,
   There's nae a yin as famed as him not even good old Hunk

Chorus
For rough and ready Wullie is just the lad for me,
   He minds me o' the happy times I spent when I was wee.
When Wullie starts the day afresh, he's fu' o' wild ideas,
   The hobbed-nail boots and hair spiked oot, he dons his dungarees.
Then from his pail he saunters tae view the world anew,
   Tae meet Fat Bob and Soutar Tam and maybe Wee Eck too.

Chorus

Through all his great adventures his hopes are riding high,
   He laughs and sings and says "Aw jings" ah dare yae do or die.
His freens the warld o'er hing oan tae every tale,
   For they love that Wullie rascal who just sits upon his pail

Chorus

Oor Wullie's aye in trouble wi' Murdoch and the Law,
   The things they blame that lad for, just sticks inside ma craw.
But Wullie's enterprising and keeps one step ahead,
   So it isn't half surprising that they come off worse instead!

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
lad o' pairts=a clever, talented young man, especially one from a humble background
kent=known
hobbed-nail=short nail with a thick head used to protect the soles of shoes or boots
dungarees=working-men's trousers

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