Song Search

Aikie Braes

by The McCalmans

on House Full (1976)

Twas on a Sunday mornin' fair
The sun was bricht, the sky was clear
Three pals o' mine they did appear
And says, "We'll gang tae Aikey"

Says I, "I'll be there, niver fear
An' I'll buy ye a' a bottle o' beer
For I'm sellin the clip and the auld grey mare
On Wednesday first at Aikey Brae"

For at Akey Brae, Aikey Brae
There's been a horse mairket for mony a day
But listen and hear what I hiv tae say
O' the day we gaed tae Aikey

Says Jock, "Man, Tam, we come the day
Tae tak ye ower tae Aikey Brae
On Wednesday next, you'll be far away
So this day we'll gang tae Aikey

They wudna hear o' nae denial
So I shifted my claes and I scrapit ma dial
An a claurted ma heid wi the laddies hair ile
An awa we gaed tae Aikey Brae

Aikey Brae, Aikey Brae
As we set on the Sabbath day
The sichts that we saw nearly turned ma heid grey
O' the day we gaed tae Aikey

There were fishers frae Buckie and trawlers frae Mull
Herrin gutters frae Torry and sailors frae Hull
Pickpockets and rogues, the soft man tae gull
At the Sunday fair at Aikey

Fairm Jocks and their Jeanies, they come tae the fair
And lairds frae the castles, their kilted knees fair
And side-scamps and the hawkers enjoyed themselves rare
At the Sunday fair at Aikey Brae

For at Aikey Brae, Aikey Brae
There's Scots wha hinnae and Scots wha hae
The soonds were enough tae pit hens aff their lay
O' the day we gaed tae Aikey

There were boxing booths and merry-go-rounds
French gay they played organs wi' bay'iful sounds
O'er the fens, they come gawk and stand roond
At the Sunday fair at Aikie

A minister preachin' with zeal and fire
While Grimly and Maloney played "Bonnie Strathshire"
While the lads and the farkin, no chores defy
At the Sunday fair at Aikie Brae

For at Aikey Brae, Aikey Brae
Fit the De'il would oor forfathers say
If they could arise fae aneath the clay
And hae a Sunday at Aikey

Aikey Brae, Aikey Brae
Ma lugs they kept buzzin for mony a day
I'll go back to the mairket but on a week day
If I ever gang tae Aikey