Alexander Boswell: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Auld Gudeman

Alexander Boswell

“Auld Gudeman” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Alexander Boswell: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Auld gudeman, ye're a drucken carle, drucken carle;

A' the lang day ye wink and drink, and gape and gaunt;

O' sottish loons ye're the pink and pearl, pink and pearl,

Ill-far'd, doited ne'er-do-weel.

Hech, gudewife! ye're a flyting body, fiyting body;

Will ye ha'e; but, guid be praised, the wit ye want.

The puttin' cow should be aye a doddy, ayca doddy.

Mak' na sic an awsome reel.

Ye're a sow, auld man:

Ye get fou, auld man:

Fye for shame, auld man,

To your wame, auld man:

Pinch'd I win, wi' spinnin' tow,

A plack to cleid your back and pow.

It's a lie, gudewife.

It's your tea, gudewife,

Na, na, gudewife,

Ye spend a', gudewife.

Dinna fa’ on me pell mell,

Ye like the drap fu' weel yoursell.

Ye's rue, auld gowk, your jest and frolic, jest and frolic.

Dare ye say, goose, I ever liked to tak' a drappy?

An 'twerena just to cure the cholic, cure the cholic,

Deil a drap wad weet my mou'.

Troth, gudewife, an' ye wadna swither, wadna swither,

Soon to tak' a cholic, when it brings a drap o' cappy.

But twascore years we ha'e fought thegither, fought thegither;

Time it is to gree, I trow.

I'm wrang, auld John

Ower lang, auld John,

For nought, gude John,

We ha'e fought, gude John;

Let's help to bear ilk ither's weight,

We're far ower feckless now to fight.

Ye're richt, gude Kate;

The nicht, gude Kate,

Our cup, gude Kate,

We'll sup, gude Kate;

Thegither frae this hour we'll draw,

And toom the stoup atween us twa.

Credits

Written by Alexander Boswell

Words by Alexander Boswell. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Auld Gudeman”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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