Well a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar one evening fair,
and one could tell by how he walked that he’d drunk more than his share.
He fumbled round until he could no longer keep his feet,
then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street.
Ring ding diddle diddle eye dee oh, ring di diddly eye oh,
he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street.About that time two young and lovely girls just happened by,
and one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye,
“See yon sleeping Scotsman, so strong and handsome built?
I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath their kilt!”
Ring ding diddle diddle eye dee oh, ring di diddly eye oh,
“I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt!”They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman quiet as could be.
Lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see.
And there behold, for them to view, beneath his Scottish skirt,
was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth.
Ring ding diddle diddle eye dee oh, ring di diddly eye oh,
was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth.They marveled for a moment, then one said, “We must be gone,
let’s leave a present for our friend, before we move along.”
As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow,
around the bonnie star the Scots’ kilt did lift and show.
Ring ding diddle diddle eye dee oh, ring di diddly eye oh,
around the bonnie star the Scots kilt did lift and show.Now the Scotsman woke to nature’s call and stumbled towards a tree.
Behind a bush, he lift his kilt and gawks at what he sees!
And in a startled voice he says to what’s before his eyes,
“O, lad I don’t know where you been, but I see you won first prize!”
Ring ding diddle diddle eye dee oh, ring di diddly eye oh,
“O, lad I don’t know where you been, but I see you won first prize!”
— Bryan Bowers “The Scotsman”
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6 Comments
It’s staff not star ya know.
I’d be willing to bet that there are various versions out there, with different performers using slightly different lyrics. The Bryan Bowers version I first heard uses “star”, as do these two lyrics pages, though this one uses “sword”, this one has “spar”, and this one just uses “part”. While I couldn’t immediately find lyrics on the ‘net that use “staff” at that point in the song, I wouldn’t doubt that it’s been used at some point.
As with many popular traditional tunes that have been passed from person to person over the years, there are probably many slightly different variations out there, with no one single version being right. Just one of those things.
Two more verses from the version by Amarillis http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Amaryllis/ (warning: mp3 downloads VERY slowly)
His fingers still wi’ drink were numb; his head still spinnin’ round He could not boost them up(?) and so he left it as ‘twas found And when his wife did spy on that fair stem what flower grows It piqued her curiosity as you might well suppose.
And when his wife inquired where he’d been and what he’d done He said there’d been a contest at the pub and he had won Said she, how could you show that thing in front of all those men? He said, I didn’t show it all my lassie, just enough to win. Ring-ding diddle diddlee aye-dee-oh Ring di-diddlee-aye oh I didn’t show it all my lassie, just enough to win.
karl, its he couldn’t loose the knot and so he left it as twas found
there is a correct version, just look for the one done by mike cross (the guy who actually wrote the song) bowers only preformed it
Hello I found this song many years ago on the internet, and performed it many times between piping. The last verse is new to me,- funny and great. It makes the song a little to long in my view,- but brings a nice ending.
But I dont understand how to sing the last verse (or two verses!!!!) The first part (His fingers….) is the beginning of one verse (4 lines) and the last part (And whenn his wife…..) is a new verse. Every verse is only two by two lines with the last line repaeted. So this must me two new verses to the song…….