Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Election. Second Ballad

Robert Burns

“The Election. Second Ballad” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 376 1887 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSong lyrics
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Fy, let us a' to Kirkcudbright,

For there will be bickerin' there;

For Murray's light-horse are to muster,

And O, how the heroes will swear!

An' there will be Murray commander,

And Gordon the battle to win;

Like brothers they'll stand by each other,

Sae knit in alliance an' kin.

Verse 2

An' there will be black-lippit Johnnie,

The tongue o' the trump to them a';

An he get na hell for his haddin'

The Deil gets na justice ava';

An' there will be Kempleton's birkie,

A boy no sae black at the bane,

But, as for his fine nabob fortune,

We'll e'en let the subject alane.

Verse 3

An' there will be Wigton's new sheriff,

Dame Justice fu' brawlie has sped,

She's gotten the heart of a Bushby,

But, Lord, what's become o' the head?

An' there will be Cardoness, Esquire,

Sae mighty in Cardoness' eyes;

A wight that will weather damnation,

For the Devil the prey will despise.

Verse 4

An' there will be Douglasses doughty,

New christ'ning towns far and near!

Abjuring their democrat doings,

By kissing the—o' a peer;

An' there will be Kenmure sae gen'rous

Whose honour is proof to the storm,

To save them from stark reprobation,

He lent them his name to the firm.

Verse 5

But we winna mention Redcastle,

The body e'en let him escape!

He'd venture the gallows for siller,

An 'twere na the cost o' the rape.

An' where is our King's lord lieutenant,

Sae fam'd for his gratefu' return?

The billie is gettin' his questions,

To say in St. Stephen's the morn.

Verse 6

An' there will be lads o' the gospel,

Muirhead wha's as gude as he's true;

An' there will be Buittle's apostle,

Wha's more o' the black than the blue;

An' there will be folk from St. Mary's,

A house o' great merit and note,

The Deil ane but honours them highly,—

The Deil ane will gie them his vote!

Verse 7

An' there will be wealthy young Richard,

Dame Fortune should hing by the neck;

For prodigal, thriftless bestowing—

His merit had won him respect:

An' there will be rich brother nabobs,

Though nabobs, yet men of the first;

An' there will be Collieston's whiskers,

An' Quintin, o' lads not the worst.

Verse 8

An' there will be stamp-office Johnnie,

Tak tent how ye purchase a dram;

An' there will be gay Cassencarrie,

An' there will be gleg Colonel Tam;

An' there will be trusty Kerroughtree,

Whose honour was ever his law,

If the virtues were pack'd in a parcel,

His worth might be sample for a'.

Verse 9

An' can we forget the auld major,

Wha'll ne'er be forgot in the Greys;

Our flatt'ry we'll keep for some other,

Him only 'tis justice to praise.

An' there will be maiden Kilkerran,

And also Barskimming's gude knight;

An' there will be roarin' Birtwhistle,

Wha, luckily, roars in the right.

Verse 10

An' there, frae the Niddisdale's borders,

Will mingle the Maxwells in droves;

Teugh Johnnie, staunch Geordie, an' Walie,

That griens for the fishes an' loaves;

An' there will be Logan Mac Dowall,

Sculdudd'ry an' he will be there,

An' also the wild Scot o' Galloway,

Sodgerin', gunpowder Blair.

Verse 11

Then hey the chaste interest o' Broughton,

An' hey for the blessings 'twill bring!

It may send Balmaghie to the Commons,

In Sodom 'twould make him a King;

An' hey for the sanctified Murray,

Our land who wi' chapels has stor'd;

He founder'd his horse among harlots,

But gied the auld naig to the Lord.

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887), “The Election. Second Ballad”

Every text in this 1887 collected edition is by Robert Burns (1759-1796), who died more than 230 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination and a pre-1931 United States publication.

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 2026-10-25. 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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