Jimmy Shand
by Andy Stewart
Oh, Jimmy Shand, sae braw an’ grand
You’ve brocht sic music tae this land
In solo tune or wi’ your band
Past a’ compeer:
Abune them a’ you’ll always standby us held dear!
Ay Jim ye are a man o’ pairts
Wha’s music’s kent in a’ the airts
An’ wi’ applause gets just desairts
North, south, east, west
Tae hear them say a’ frae their hairts –
“Man, he’s the best!”
But gin ye be Scotch music’s king
Strathspey or reel – jig, heilan’ fling
Your sound had power to fairly bring
A reign fu’ far –
‘Neath Northern Lights your praise they sing
And Southern Star!
For nigh on fifty year your sound
Has traveled all our country round
And gane whaur foreign borders bound
Sae sweet sae braw –
It’s garr’s Scots mak’ ye king uncrowned
Heich abune a’!
Oh little wist ye on that day
When your first notes ye strove to play
An’ like maist ‘prentice lads the way
Was better socht –
That music wad take you to gaze
On lands unthocht!
To Canada’s great towns an’ plains
An’ fair Australia’s wroch-like ‘mains’
Tae walk the streets o’ foreign stanes
An’ tread the brod
In countries wi’ byornar names
Faur flung abroad
There’s mony a chiel in cabin scant
Surrounded but by dare and want
You’ve gar’d his verra hairt tae vaunt
An’ life and feel
Maist glad to hear your merry rant
Wi’ jig and reel!
There’s many lads in outback land
Faur frae Auld Scotia’s kindly strand
Hae blessed you an’ your tunefu’ band
When sunk in gloom
They’ve taen their lassies hand-in-hand
An’ cleared the room!
In jungle deep in old Malay
When tigers in their path did stray
There’s Scots, I’ve heard, have saved the day
An’ banished harms
For the beast turned douch when they did play –
Ay – “Music hath charms!”
And I heard of a loon mid Ireland’s strife –
Man Jim – You saved his very life
For as some o’ the ‘Bahoys’ wi’ gun and knife
Were bent to slay –
“Pit on a Shand record” he roared tae his wife –
An’ they danced away!
Enough! I think they’ll get the gist
An’ catch on braw for weel they wist
That I the Blarney Stone ne’er kissed
But speak sincere
When I say your notes I ne’er hae missed
Through a’ the years!
Hail Caledonia’s music-man!
Let ilka family ay an’ clan
Raise up their glasses in their han’
An’ drink your health!
For the music of our Jimmy Shand
Is mair nor wealth!
It’s never gowd or such can buy
The kind o’ joy to make them high
Frae Gretna tae the Isle o’ Skye
As ony kite!
Your music money widna try
Tae measure quite!
Lang may you reign an’ aiblins bring
Anither June tae sweetly sing
Some new made jig or reel or fling
And add mair wealth
Of pleasure brocht us by ‘The King’
Jimmy Shand! Your health!!
Box and Fiddle
October 1983
You’ve brocht sic music tae this land
In solo tune or wi’ your band
Past a’ compeer:
Abune them a’ you’ll always standby us held dear!
Ay Jim ye are a man o’ pairts
Wha’s music’s kent in a’ the airts
An’ wi’ applause gets just desairts
North, south, east, west
Tae hear them say a’ frae their hairts –
“Man, he’s the best!”
But gin ye be Scotch music’s king
Strathspey or reel – jig, heilan’ fling
Your sound had power to fairly bring
A reign fu’ far –
‘Neath Northern Lights your praise they sing
And Southern Star!
For nigh on fifty year your sound
Has traveled all our country round
And gane whaur foreign borders bound
Sae sweet sae braw –
It’s garr’s Scots mak’ ye king uncrowned
Heich abune a’!
Oh little wist ye on that day
When your first notes ye strove to play
An’ like maist ‘prentice lads the way
Was better socht –
That music wad take you to gaze
On lands unthocht!
To Canada’s great towns an’ plains
An’ fair Australia’s wroch-like ‘mains’
Tae walk the streets o’ foreign stanes
An’ tread the brod
In countries wi’ byornar names
Faur flung abroad
There’s mony a chiel in cabin scant
Surrounded but by dare and want
You’ve gar’d his verra hairt tae vaunt
An’ life and feel
Maist glad to hear your merry rant
Wi’ jig and reel!
There’s many lads in outback land
Faur frae Auld Scotia’s kindly strand
Hae blessed you an’ your tunefu’ band
When sunk in gloom
They’ve taen their lassies hand-in-hand
An’ cleared the room!
In jungle deep in old Malay
When tigers in their path did stray
There’s Scots, I’ve heard, have saved the day
An’ banished harms
For the beast turned douch when they did play –
Ay – “Music hath charms!”
And I heard of a loon mid Ireland’s strife –
Man Jim – You saved his very life
For as some o’ the ‘Bahoys’ wi’ gun and knife
Were bent to slay –
“Pit on a Shand record” he roared tae his wife –
An’ they danced away!
Enough! I think they’ll get the gist
An’ catch on braw for weel they wist
That I the Blarney Stone ne’er kissed
But speak sincere
When I say your notes I ne’er hae missed
Through a’ the years!
Hail Caledonia’s music-man!
Let ilka family ay an’ clan
Raise up their glasses in their han’
An’ drink your health!
For the music of our Jimmy Shand
Is mair nor wealth!
It’s never gowd or such can buy
The kind o’ joy to make them high
Frae Gretna tae the Isle o’ Skye
As ony kite!
Your music money widna try
Tae measure quite!
Lang may you reign an’ aiblins bring
Anither June tae sweetly sing
Some new made jig or reel or fling
And add mair wealth
Of pleasure brocht us by ‘The King’
Jimmy Shand! Your health!!
Box and Fiddle
October 1983