S.N.P. - SCOTTISH NAVAL PATROL
by Jim McLean

We'll keek in every corner roon the North Sea tae the Clyde.
For naebody will stowaway when we sail wi the tide.
We'll mke sure the Duke of Edinburgh is on the other side,
When Scotland sails away.

Chorus :
We'll dig a trench along the border
We'll dig a trench along the bordere
We'll dig a channel frae the Solway tae the Tweed
And we'll sail away from England wi the SNP.

We'll steer for warmer waters far away frae England's freeze;
And them wi queazie bellies may remain wher'er they please;
And strut aboot in London toun showin aff their knees;
When scotland sails away.

We'll maroon the tartan tories on an island in the mist
Wi copies of Sir Walter Scott and then if they insist,
We'll gie them Andy Stewart for their Desert Island disc
When Scotland sails away.

There's sailors doun in Cumbernauld and up in Stornoway,
There comin in frae Aberdeen, Dundee and Inver'ay,
In Glasgow you can hear them roar "Anchors away".
When Scotland sails away.

 

This song, referred to last week by Jim Lynch, reminds me of the splendid verse by the late Irish writer Brendan Behan -

The sea, O the sea, a gradh gheal mo chroidhe.
Oh long may you roll between England and me,
God help the poor Scotsmen - they'll never be free
But we're entirely surrounded by Water!

 

It was a very popular number at many a late night Nationalist ceilidh and was recorded by Alastair McDonald amongst others.