We've Left Oor Hame in Aiberdeen

After reflecting on how herring girls might have felt about moving away from home to work, their feelings towards the place they've moved to, home and their fellow herring girls, the participants in the Parallel Lives project with Arts Development in Torry, Aberdeen, have written a song on the melody of Burns's A Man's A Man For A' That - in Scots.

We’ve left oor hame in Aiberdeen

Excited by the venture

The train will tak us up the coast
New places, fit a pleasure

Oh, we’ll miss oor ma and we’ll miss oor da

There’s naething surer aboot that

Sine we’ll hae a laugh and we’ll sing a sang

Wi’ quines and loons and a’ that.

It’s early in the morning

And the sun’s begun tae shine

Oor fingers wrapped in clooties

Tae save them frae the brine

We’ll gie a chap and anither loud chap

On Beldie’s door so she’ll hear us

We’re awa’ tae gut the herring

That’s been soaking in the bree.

Sae young and independent

In search for oor ane life

New faces and new places

Tae become a fisher wife

We now hae oor ane money

Tae help oor ma and da

We ken we’ll get a bittie back

Tae hae some fun for a’ that.

We’ve gutted a’ the herring

Had fun wi’ a’ the loons

Frae up the north in Stronsay

Richt doon tae Yarmouth toon

In bonnie days and stormy days

It’s a’ the same tae us

The season it’s now over

We’ve siller in oor purse.

So now we’re aff back hame again

We feel it is a shame
But a hug fae ma and een fae da

Will seen make up for a’ that

Tae see oor folks, and a’ the bairns

Will bring us great pleasure

To be back hame in oor ane bed

It's something ye canna measure.

(Repeat of the second part of the song:)

For a’ that, an a’ that

We’ve hid a great time an’ a’ that

As for the life, tho’ hard it’s been

We’ll be back next year for a’ that.

 

Copyright text and song lyrics participants in the Parallel Lives project and Arts Development