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Scots Language Centre Centre for the Scots Leid

Today Is Hogmanay

Most songs that Scottish children sing are quite short and many of them are funny.

This song is at least 80 years old. Ewan McVicar's mother learned the first two verses in the playground in Plean school, near Stirling, when she was 8 years old.

When she taught it to Ewan, when he was aged 8, his father added on the last verse, which is the chorus of a 19th-century pseudo-Gaelic song called 'Phairson Swore a Feud'.

Today is Hogmanay (800)_tcm4-573377

Today is Hogmanay
Tomorrow's Hogmananny
And ah'm gaun doon the brae
Tae see my Irish grannie.

Ah'll tak her tae a ball
Ah'll tak her tae a supper
And when ah get her there 
Ah'll stick her nose in the butter.

Singing ah ah ah, ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah
And that's the Gaelic chorus.

Make the bagpipe sound of the 'ahs' by holding your nose with one hand and beating gently on your throat with the edge of the other hand.

Today Is Hogmanay performed by Ewan McVicar. From 'Traditional Scottish Songs and Music', Gallus Recordings.