Wellies

Over the last couple of weeks or so I've been taking the dog for walks and finding that this song by Billy Connolly is running through my head. Could have something to do with the wetness of the weather, the mini-flood conditions in the woodland around us and the fact that I bought my first pair of wellies for about 20 years, and am darn pleased I did. The lyrics may tell you why. Except that the version in my head has the chorus starting this way: "If ya didnae have yuh wellies ..." and I hear it in my mind's ear with Billy's voice. The last verse very definitely dates it!

Wellies they are wonderful, oh wellies they are swell,
Cause they keep oot the water, an' they keep in the smell,
An' when yer sittin in a room, you can always tell,
When some bugger takes off his wellies.

If it wasna for your wellies where would you be?
You'd be in the hospital or infirmary,
Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pluracy,
If you didna have your feet in your wellies!

But when yer oot walking, in the country way about
An yer strolling over fields just like a fairmer's herd.
And somebody shouts "Keep aff the grass," and you think "How absurd;"
And, squelch, you find why fairmers a' wear wellies.

Chorus

There's fishermen and firemen, there's farmers an a',
Men oot digging ditches an' working in the snaw;
This country it would grind tae a halt and no' a thing would graw
If it wasna for the workers in their wellies.

Chorus

Noo Edward Heath and Wilson, they havna made a hit,
They're ruining this country, mair than just a bit,
If they keep on the way they are goin', we'll all be in the sh..,
So you'd be'er ge(t) your feet in your wellies.

Chorus


Tune: "The Work of the Weavers."
Recorded by Billy Connolly on _Cop yer whack for this_; Polydor (1974).
Note: Connolly remarks:

© Mews Music Ltd

Oh and you can get an indication of the tune here.