Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

A cogie o' yill

Traditional

“A cogie o' yill” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 12 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

A cogie o' yill,

And a pickle aitmeal,

And a dainty wee drappie o' whiskey,

Was our forefathers' dose.

For to sweel down their brose,

And keep them aye cheery and frisky,

Then hey for the whiskey, and hey for the meal,

And hey for the cogie, and hey for the yill,

Gin ye steer a' thegither they'll do unco weel,

To keep a chiel cheery and brisk aye.

When I see our Scots lads,

Wi' their kilts and cockauds,

That sae aften ha'e lounder'd our foes, man;

I think to mysel',

On the meal and the yill,

And the fruits o' our Scottish kail brose, man.

Then hey, &c.

When our brave Highland blades,

Wi' their claymores and plaids,

In the field drive like sheep a' our foes, man;

Their courage and pow'r—

Spring frae this to be sure,

They're the noble effects o' the brose, man.

Then hey, &c.

But your spyndle-shank'd sparks,

Wha sae ill fill their sarks,

Your pale-visaged milksops and beaux, man;

I think when I see them,

'Twere kindness to gi'e them—

A cogie o' yill or o' brose, man.

Then hey, &c.

What John Bull despises,

Our better sense prizes,

He denies eatin' blanter ava, man;

But by eatin' o' blanter.

His mare's grown, I'll warrant her,

The manliest brute o' the twa, man.

Then hey, &c.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. 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, “A cogie o' yill”

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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