The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen

Mary Webb

When I was a lad, a tiny wee lad My mither said tae me Come see the Northern Lights my child They’re bright as they can be She called them the heavenly dancers Merry dancers in the sky I’ll never forget, that wonderful sight They made the heavens bright

The northern lights of old Aberdeen Mean home sweet home tae me The northern lights of Aberdeen Are what I long tae see I’ve been a wanderer all o my life Any many a sight I’ve seen God speed the day when l’m on my way To my home in Aberdeen

I’ve wandered in mony far-aff lands And traivelled mony a mile I’ve missed the folk I’ve cherished most The joy o a friendly smile It warms up the hairt o a wand’rer The clasp of a welcomin hand Tae greet me when, I return Hame tae my native land

The northern lights of old Aberdeen Mean home sweet home tae me The northern lights of Aberdeen Are what I long tae see I’ve been a wanderer all o my life Any monys the sight I’ve seen God speed the day when l’m on my way To my home in Aberdeen

Here, sung by the Alexander Brothers - theirs is the version I grew up with. But the renditions I remember best are those from the ceilidhs held in the Sonachan Hotel, on Ardnamurchan, back in the 70's.

Raising a dram for John MacPhail, Eddy Rose, et al.