Chorus
Oh the wailin’ o’ the bummer and the clackin’ o’ the looms
Brought the wimmin o’ Dundee oot o’ their beds,
And they walked tae mills and fact’ries and they wrought frae seven tae five
And the wimmin kept the bairns o’ Dundee fed.
- The men they were’na’ lazy but the work was hard tae find,
The parish and the means test they’d tae face,
But a lassie’s hands were nimble and a lassie’s wages sma’,
So the wimmin o’ Dundee worked in their place.
Chorus
- Ma mither an’ ma granny an’ ma aunties yin an’ a’,
Went tae the looms the day they left the school [skale],
They didnae work for freedom, independence or the rest
They jist worked tae get some kitchen for their kale.
Chorus
- Noo the rhythm o’ their livin’ was the clackin’ o’ the looms,
Their youth and health and strength was lost tae jate,
But the weavers and the spinners and the winders o’ Dundee
Had the spirit that the hard times didnae bate.
Chorus
- You may boast o’ noble lineage and sing o’ yer Heilan’ clan
And halesome gallant chiefs wha share your name,
But ma line’s as guid as ony and I’m very proud tae say
It was frae a Dundee weaver that I came
Chorus x2
Rhythm (“sh te ke-ke”) on V3, V3 chorus, and last chorus but 1
Glossary:
- Bummer — factory siren
- Wrought — worked
- Kitchen — anything served in addition to a plain food