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Broadside ballad entitled 'New Political Song'

Transcription

NEW POLITICAL SONG,

All about John Murray, the Piper, and Mr Aytoun, the
Friend of the People, and Staunch Reformer.

Written, on its being understood that Mr AYTOUN had been advised by the Gentlemen of
his Committee to start for LEITH, as well as EDINBURGH, in order that his return to Parlia-
ment might be secured for one or other of these places.                                                

        Come join in my song,
        All people who long
To see Pensions cut off with a sweep,?
        And let it be known
        That no Bag-piper's drone
Shall lull our best senses asleep.

        The Piper I mean,
        May be ev'ry day seen
Profusely expending his wind ;
        But such horrible musick
        Has made not a few sick,
Who tell him to blow from behind.

        Some people will say
        If he chooses to play
From Duncansbay-head to the Border,?
        Why, what's that to us ?
        But I answer them thus?
Our purse keeps his Bag-Pipe in order.

        For such music alone,
        And to keep up the Drone,
It full well can be made to appear,
        John Murray, the Piper,
        Has long drawn a wiper
Of more than five hundred a-year.

        Then look at his Tail?      
        I'm sure it can't fail                  
To disgust you at such sort of cattle?
        There's Lauder and Napier,
        And Gordon, who caper,
Blow trumps and shake well their straw rattle.

        And James Gibson Craig,
        Who with speeches so vague,
As of old, shews that he is no Blusher ;
        For he harps ev'ry day,
        In his own blust'ring way,
Against sinecures?while he's the Usher. *

        And Will Tail is glorious,
        And the Scotsman uproarious,
With their blarney, Electors to diddle ;
        And Peterkin, too,
        Who writes for the New
North Briton, attempts the first fiddle.

        On pretenders like these
        I would have you to sneeze,?
Give your votes to a man that won't flag;
        James Aytoun's the boy
        Who will wholly destroy
The Pipes, and give Murray? the Bag.

* This worthy gentleman says, the Ushership Sinecure yields him only a Hundred Pounds a-year ! Taking his
own word for this, it must still be obvious that the man who would take from his country a Hundred Pounds for doing
nothing, would have no qualm of conscience at taking a Thousand for doing the same thing.

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Probable period of publication: 1839-1841   shelfmark: ABS.10.203.01(064)
Broadside ballad entitled 'New Political Song'
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