A Dyker's Compliments to Her Neighbours
Songs are made for a variety of reasons by a variety of people.
This song was made by Scott Murray of the Fife song group Sangsters. Scott went to visit a group of elderly ladies living in Ladywalk House in Anstruther as part of a songwriting project in Fife in 1998-2000 run by the organisation New Makars Trust which works to support people writing songs about where they live. The song ‘Winter Sun’ came out of the same project.
He explained that 'The ladies were adamant that they were having nothing to do with actual songwriting. ‘Dinna be daft, son - is that not what ye dae?’ They came out with stories, I took notes of the gallus Dyker (Cellardyke, next to Anstruther) sayings and gathered together strands.'
Chorus
Keep yer ain fish guts tae yer ain sea maws
Anster daws, tattie shaws
Keep yer ain fish guts tae yer ain sea maws
Lyin amang the deid craws
An wha's acht you ma bonnie lass
That moved here in the simmer?
Ah kent yer faither at the scale
He's a torn-ersed Pittenweemer
Ye lookin at me, ye Anster daw?
Ah'll cowp ye in a dub sir
An wha cried ye a partan face
An ye sae like a lobster?
What's that ye're sayin? Ah canna tell
Ye styipit shilpit moaner
Ye're nae frae here, Ah'm shair o that
Ye're a St Minnens droner
Ye can keep yer Crail an Pittenweem
Yer Anster an St Minnens
Daft Dyker's whit ye cry us aa
Awa back hame, guid riddance
Listen to 'A Dyker's Compliments to Her Neighbours' performed by Scott Murray at a New Makars Trust concert in Fife at the top of the page.
From Making New Scots Songs 16, New Makars Trust