Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat


Does haughty Gaul invasion threat? Then let the louns beware, Sir; There's wooden walls upon our seas, And volunteers on shore, Sir: The Nith shall run to Corsincon, And Criffel sink in Solway, Ere we permit a Foreign Foe On British ground to rally! We'll ne'er permit a Foreign Foe On British ground to rally! O let us not, like snarling curs, In wrangling be divided, Till, slap! come in an unco loun, And wi' a rung decide it! Be Britain still to Britain true, Amang ourselves united; For never but by British hands Maun British wrangs be righted! No! never but by British hands Shall British wrangs be righted! The Kettle o' the Kirk and State, Perhaps a clout may fail in't; But deil a foreign tinkler loun Shall ever ca'a nail in't. Our father's blude the Kettle bought, And wha wad dare to spoil it; By Heav'ns! the sacrilegious dog Shall fuel be to boil it! By Heav'ns! the sacrilegious dog Shall fuel be to boil it! The wretch that would a tyrant own, And the wretch, his true-born brother, Who would set the Mob aboon the Throne, May they be damn'd together! Who will not sing "God save the King," Shall hang as high's the steeple; But while we sing "God save the King," We'll ne'er forget The People! But while we sing "God save the King," We'll ne'er forget The People!

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Ralph Riach

About this work

This is a song by Robert Burns. It was written in 1795 and is read here by Ralph Riach.

More about this song

This song was written while Burns was simultaneously helping to organize the Dumfries companies of Volunteers against a proposed French invasion in the spring of 1795.

It was published in a number of newspapers around May.

Burns sent a copy to Mrs Dunlop in autumn 1795, and alludes to the removal of four lines that had given offence.

However, the four lines remain unknown as the manuscript has not been found. The song is set to the tune of ‘Push about the Jorum’, although George Thomson later set it to, ‘Get up and bar the door’.

‘Corsincon’ and ‘Criffel’ in stanza one are both hills, which are located on the Ayrshire border and the Stewarty side of the Nith estuary.

Ralph McLean

Themes for this song

nationalismrevolutionwar

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