Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on November 4th 2006 by geoffwright.
This tune has been added to 18 tunebooks.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: We're No' Awa Tae Bide Awa'
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|:DE|F3 A|GFED|F2 D2|D2 FA|
d3 e|dcBA|B4|A2 Bc|
d2 d2|d3F|G2 B2|A3 A|
B2A2|d2F2|E4|D2:|
We're No' Awa Tae Bide Awa'
Not realy a polka - more a March - always gets the Scots singing in a Grand March/Gay Gordons etc.
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We're no' awa tae leave ye,
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We'll aye come back an' see ye.
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by geoffwright
Session >> Tunes >> We're No' Awa Tae Bide Awa' (polka)
Alternative Words
Oh as Ah wis walkin' doon the Gilmore Hill
Ah met the Clerk o' Senate
Says he tae me you've nae de-gree
Says Ah fine weel Ah ken it!
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by wodeninjun
this should be played in imitation of the great highland bagpipes--Amyxolydian
# Posted on September 5th 2008 by feadog06
We're No' Awa Tae Bide Awa'
feadog06: I too have heard it played on various bagpipes, but I don't believe it's a pipe tune originally.
wodeninjun: The alternative words you quote are from the Glasgow University Students' Song Book of 1956, which mentions a Glasgow West End pub (The Arlington) and locations.
There are quite a few regional variants of the song. The one I came across first was from Dundee:
"Oh, as I was walking doon the Overgate..."
Other locations include two from Lanarkshire: "As I gaed in by Carnwath Mills", and another about Wilsontown.
In Scotland, the song is often sung or played at the end of an event, and often at Hogmanay as well. It's a nice sentiment when you're about to leave to say, "We're no' awa' tae bide awa', we'll aye come back an see ye." In other words, we're not going away to stay away - we'll always come back and see you again.
# Posted on September 6th 2008 by nigelg
can be used at a ceilidh as a quickener after everyone's held hands for Auld Lang Syne
# Posted on September 6th 2008 by Bren
The Arlington Bar mentioned in the 1956 students song book version is still the Arlington Bar, and has a session on Tuesday nights.
# Posted on March 3rd 2010 by WilfDell
As an aside if you go into the Glasgow University Union Beer Bar and look at the boards for the beer drinking competitions you will see a team called the "Arlington Arseholes" won it a number of years in a row. (I wonder what the autocensor will make of that).
Not being a drinker and not being old enough I can take no responsibility for the name.
# Posted on March 3rd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Ha ha - it let it through!
# Posted on March 3rd 2010 by No Cause For Alarm