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If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

Around Chrismas one of our local Scots sang a song which went something like (I've tried to reproduce the accent here...)
If it wasna f'r y'r wellies, where would ye be
Y'd be in the hospital or the infirmary..

It goes on, the last line being

If it wasna f'r the w'rkers in their wellies!

Does anyone have the tune and lyrics for this (my colleague swears he only knows fragments, although at the time he sang it, fairly full of Christmas cheer, he seemed to know quite a lot!)

# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Sokol

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

If it wasn't 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 pleurisy
If you didn't have your feet in your wellies

Oh wellies they are wonderful, oh wellies they are swell
'Cause they keep out the water and they keep in the smell
And when you're sitting in a room you can always tell
When some bugger takes off his wellies

If it wasn't 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 pleurisy
If you didn't have your feet in your wellies

Oh and when you're out walking in the country with a bird
And you're strolling over fields just like a farmer's herd
And somebody shouts, "Keep off the grass" and you think how absurd
and SQUELCH you find why farmers all wear wellies

If it wasn't 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 pleurisy
If you didn't have your feet in your wellies

There's fishermen and firemen, there's farmers and all
Men out digging ditches and working in the snow
This country it would grind to a halt and not a thing would grow
If it wasn't for the workers in their wellies

If it wasn't 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 pleurisy
If you didn't have you're feet in your wellies

Oh Edward, Heath and Wilson they haven't made a hit
So you'd better get your feet in your wellies

If it wasn't 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 pleurisy
If you didn't have you're feet in your wellies



# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Seasider

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies


The above from the singing of Billy Connolly .

# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Seasider

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

Boy, that was quick!!
Thanks, Domino. I'll see if I can find the Billy Connolly version.

# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Sokol

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

A parody of "The Work (or the "wark") o' the Weavers".
http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/displaysong.asp?SongID=620

# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Bren

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

There was a NZ comedian by the name of Fred Dagg who called it the "Gumboot Song" and that was around 30 years ago.

# Posted on January 30th 2005 by Patkiwi

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

There's more info and lyrics on the mudcat: http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7139

# Posted on January 31st 2005 by KateG

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

Thanks KateG. I like this version better.
And thanks to Bren and Patkiwi too. Of all the millions of sites on the internet, this must be the most useful!

# Posted on January 31st 2005 by Sokol

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

Also recorded by Laggan Folk many years ago.

# Posted on January 31st 2005 by breandan

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

By the way, Patkiwi, wasn't Fred Dagg in fact John Clark? He is still very active in the comedy circuit in Oz.

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by Sokol

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

Anymore need to know Scottishisms? Wellies, Tatties, Plaidies, Korbies, ......

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by CeolCairdeas

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

You only need one Scottish phrase and you'll be popular wherever you go:
"Sit doon, it's ma roon'!"

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by Bren

Re: If it wasna f'r y'r wellies

CC -- "Hooghmagandy". And Bren, that's a popular phrase in any language, but I don't ever recall hearing it in Aberdeen.

# Posted on February 1st 2005 by Kenny

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