Henry's Songbook

Fare ye weel Glasgow I must leave
Your technicolour balloons floating in a patch of oil
Fare ye weel Glasgow I must go
My ship is sailing down the river from the Broomielaw

Fareweel tae ye ma ain dear lass
You looked sae small as we sailed away
Don't cry young lass, the days will pass
And I'll send for you someday

The swan-neckled crans on the river stand
And they bow their heads tae me
The city lights soon fade from sight
And their glow becomes a memory

The ship rides down past Greenock town
That's where once I used to toil
But times were hard in that old shipyard
So I'm off tae American soil

Fareweel tae ye my native land
Please don't think too badly of me
As your shoreline sinks at the Tail o' the bank
I'll just turn my back and face the sea

[1998:] Scotland's greatest export is people. Here is a tale of a man leaving home and watching his old world disappearing. I wrote this song for my sisters Anne, Jessie and Margaret, now living happily in America. (Notes Danny Kyle, 'Heroes and Soft Targets')