Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

It's weel it's nae waur

Traditional

“It's weel it's nae waur” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 3 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

It's true, frien's, it's true,

An' I'm wae tae confess,

That our joy micht be mair,

An' our grief micht be less;

But we aye get a mouthfu',

Though we whiles kenna whar,

Sae, O! frien's, be thankfu'—

"It's weel it's nae waur."

We've a' dreet the girnin'

O' cauld gloomin' care,

Yet o' hope's mornin' sang

Ha'e we no had our share?

Though the cary be dark whiles,

There's aye some bit star,

Tae keep us reflectin'

"It's weel it's nae waur."

We've sicken'd in sorrow

At parting to-day,

But the meeting to-morrow

Can chase it away;

An' if some frien's ha'e wither'd

Sin' we were afar,

We ken whar their banes lie—

"It's weel it's nae waur."

Our ills ha'e been mony—

We've a' had our share,

An nae doubt we've whiles thocht

That nane could ha'e mair;

But yet there are thousan's

Mair wretched by far,

Then, O! frien's, be thankfu'—

"Its weel it's nae waur."

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, “It's weel it's nae waur”

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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