John Crosbie's Shoon Poem by Alexander Anderson

Ane sings the lassie that he lo'es,
Gangs daft aboot her lips an' een;
Anither, burns, an' heichts, an' howes,
An' a' the places he has seen.
For me, sic things I dinna heed;
But could I lilt an' raise a tune,
I'd do my best to gi'e a screed,
An' try an' sing John Crosbie's shoon.


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.


Your toon folk that are unco fine
Maun ha'e thin soles be't wat or fair;
But let a month gang by, an' syne
They ha'e to buy anither pair,
Forbye a dizzen caulds to thole,
An' by the fire to hoast an' croon—
The doctor's fee was unco wee
When ane had on John Crosbie's shoon.


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.


Aboot their shape he didna care,
For that he never fashed his thoom;
A' that he wanted to be there
Was rowth o' ease an' rowth o' room.
What though the taes were no' alike,
Ane maybe square, the ither roun',
Ye had nae corns to mak' ye fyke,
When ye had on John Crosbie's shoon.


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.


If John at times micht tak' a dram
To keep fu' saft this human clay,
He settled ony inward qualm
By just 'a tastin''—he wad say,
'What ser's an' honest, social drap,
It helps to keep the denner doon'—
Then took the lapstane on his lap,
An' yerkit aff a pair o' shoon.


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.


They say that aince—it's a' a lee,
An' yet sic things get easy oot—
When John had something in his ee
He sewed twa soles upon ae boot.
What though he did, then nocht was wrang
The pair o' soles were firm an' soun',
An' fit wi' onywhere to gang,
For nae sma' drink was Crosbie's shoon.


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.


John tak's his rest noo free frae a'
Within the kirkyaird on the hill,
But though for years he's been awa'
The hamely proverb lingers still.
When fowk bring hame—say some gudewife—
A dizzen bargains frae the toon,
The neebors say, 'They'll last your life,
Like gude auld Johnnie Crosbie's shoon.'


John Crosbie's shoon, John Crosbie's shoon,
A wealth was in John Crosbie's shoon;
For wear them late or wear them sune,
They never, never wad gang dune.