Waggle o the kilt, The

AKA The wig, wig waggle o the kilt
First Published 1917
Writer/composer Harry Lauder Roud RN38376

Music Hall Performers Harry Lauder
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
MacShannon, John; Scotland : Argyllshire; 1962
Modern performances
Andy Stewart, The Tartan Lads

From sheet music:

I'll never forget the day I went and join'd the ninety third
The chums I used to run with said they thought I look'd absurd.
They saluted me, and gather'd round me in a ring,
And as I wagg'd my Tartan kilt they a' began to sing -

He's a braw braw Hielan' laddie, Private Jack McDade.
There's not anither sodger like him in the Scotch Brigade.
Rear'd amang the heather, you can see he's Scottish built,
By the wig, wig, wiggle, wiggle, waggle o' the kilt.


I'll never forget the day we were order'd on revue,
The King came down to see us, and the Queen was with him too.
As I march'd by the Royal Coach the King just shook his head.
The Queen put on her royal spec's and look'd at me and said -


I'll never forget the day we went away to camp,
The sun was hot, I drank a lot, I was nearly dead wi' cramp.
I'm very nearly certain sure I would have died that day,
But the thing that saved my life was when the band began to play-

Another song written, composed and sung by the prominent Scots comedian Harry Lauder.

It was later collected in 1962 from the singing of John MacShannon by Hamish Henderson, you can hear the recording on the excellent Tobar an Dualchais / Kist o Riches site.

Sources:

  • Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A38376
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Lyrics and Sheet Music: Frances G. Spencer Collection