Ballad Of John MacLean Lyrics

Tell me whaur ye're gaun, lad, An who ye're gaun tae meet A'm headed for the station That's in Buchanan Street, A'll join 200,000 That's there tae meet the train That's bringing back tae Glesca Our ain dear John MacLean Dominie, Dominie There was nane like John MacLean, The fightin Dominie Tell me whaur he's been, lad, An why has he been there? They've had him in the prison For preachin in the Square, For Johnny held a finger up Tae aa the ills he saw, He was right side o the people, But the wrang side o the law Johnny was a teacher In one o Glasgow's schools The golden law was silence But Johnny broke the rules, For a world o social justice Young Johnny couldnae wait, He took his chalk an easel Tae the men at the shipyard gate The leaders o the nation Made money hand ower fist By grindin doun the people By the fiddle an the twist, Aided an abetted By the preacher an the Press John caad for revolution An he caad for nothin less The bosses an the judges United as one man For Johnny was a danger Tae their '14-'18 plan, They wanted men for slaughter In the fields o Armentiers, John caad upon the people Tae smash the profiteers They brought him to the courtroom In Edinburgh toun, But still he didnae cower, He firmly held his ground, An stoutly he defended His every word an deed, Five years it was his sentence In the jail at Peterheid Seven months he lingered In prison misery Till the people rose in fury, In Glesca an Dundee, Lloyd George an aa his cronies Were shaken tae the core, The prison gates were opened, An John was free once more