Donald MacGillivray

"Donald MacGillivray" lyrics and music James Hogg

Performed by Marc Gunn
from Virtual Public House

 

Donald's gone up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald's come doon the hill, wild and angry!
Donald will clear the gouk's nest cleverly;
Here's to the King and to Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a weighbauk, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a weighbauk, Donald MacGillavry!
Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly!
Off wi' the counterfeit, Donald MacGillavry!

Donald's run o'er the hill but with his tether, man,
As he were wud, or stang'd with an-ether, man,
When he comes back, there's some will look merrily!
Here's to King James and to Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a weaver, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a weaver, Donald MacGillavry!
Pack on your back, and elwand sae cleverly;
Gi' them full measure my Donald MacGillavry!

Donald has foughten wi' rief and rougery;
Donald has dinnered wi' banes and beggary,
Better it were for Whigs and Whiggery:
Meetin' the Devil, than Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a tailor, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a tailor, Donald MacGillavry!
Push about, in and out, thimble them cleverly!
Here's tae King James and to Donald MacGillavry!

Donald's the callan that brooks nae tangleness;
Whigging and prigging, and all newfangledness;
They maun be gane; he winna be baukit, man;
He maun hae Justice, or, faith, he'll take it, man!
Come like a cobbler, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a cobbler, Donald MacGillavry!
Beat them, and bore them, and lingel them cleverly!
Up wi' King James, and wi' Donald MacGillavry!

Donald was mumpit wi' mirds and mockery,
Donald was blinded wi' blads o'property;
Arles ran high, but makin's were naethin', man!
Lord, how Donald is flyin' and frettin', man!
Come like the devil, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like the devil, Donald MacGillavry!
Skelp them and scaud them that proved sae unbritherly!
Up wi' King James and wi' Donald MacGillavry!

Chords: KEY Dm

[Dm]Donald's gone up the hill hard and hungry,
Donald's come doon the hill, [C]wild and angry!
[Dm]Donald will clear the gouk's nest cleverly;
[Bb]Here's to the [C]King and to [Dm]Donald Mac-[C]Gillavry!
[Dm]Come like a weighbauk, Donald MacGillavry!
Come like a weighbauk, [C]Donald MacGillavry!
[Dm]Balance them fair, and balance them cleverly!
[Bb]Off wi' the [C]counterfeit, [Dm]Donald Mac-[C]Gillavry!

Background

Donald MacGillivray is a Scottish song by Scottish poet James Hogg. It was first published in 1819 and written about the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715 or 1745.

There's a fascinating blog post about the song here. It explains that the song uses "the symbols of commerce to describe a person battling against...unchecked freedom."

I perform the song in show #225 of the Pub Songs Podcast.