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		THE KELTY CLIPPIE
		Written by John Watt of Dunfermline, the song of the Kelty Clippie became a hit as soon as it was recorded - released first on a vinyl LP in 1976 on the album Shores of the Forth - sung by John Watt and Davey Stewart with the Beggars Mantle Ceilidh Band. 
		The song celebrates the passing of way of life - the bus conductress known in Fife as the clippie. 

1: I have traivelled ower this country,
	Frae shore tae shining shore;
Frae the swamps o Auchterderran,
	Tae the jungles o Lochore.
But in aa these far flung places,
	There’s nane that can compare;
Wi the Lily o Lumphinnans,
	She’s ma bonnie Maggie Blair.

2: Frae the pyramids up in Kelty,
	Tae the mansions in Glencraig ;
We’ve trod the bings together,
	In mony’s the blyth stravaig.
Watched the moonlight over Crosshill,
	Trod Buckhaven’s golden sand;
And mony’s the happy oor we’ve spent,
	In Lochgelly’s Happy Land.

Chorus:
Oh she’s just a Kelty Clippie,
	She’ll no tak nae advice;
It’s, “Ach drap deid, awa bile yer heid,
	Or Ah’ll punch yer ticket twice!”
Her faither’s just a waster,
	Her mither’s on the game;
She’s just a Kelty Clippie,
	But I love her just the same.

3: Well I met her on the ‘eight fifteen’,
	That nicht o romantic bliss;
Ah says “Hey Mag, pit doon yer bag,
	And gie’s a wee bit kiss.”
But she didnae tak that kindly,
	No she didnae like ma chaff;
And bein a contrary kind o lass,
	She says, “Come oan get aff.”

4: Noo she hasnae got nae culture,
	Oh she drives me roond the bend;
Oh she sits every nicht in an old arm chair,
	Readin the People’s Friend.
Her lapels is fu o badges,
	Frae Butlins doon at Ayr;
And she gangs tae the Bingo every nicht,
 	Wi the curlers still in her hair.

5: But things is a wee bit better noo,
 	Ah’ve gone and got the ring;
Ah won it frae John at the pitch and toss,
	Last night at the Lindsay bing.
Wi her wee black hat and her ticket machine,
	She did ma hert ensnare;
She’s the Lily o Lumphinnans,
	She’s ma bonnie Maggie Blair.

Chorus:
Oh she’s just a Kelty Clippie,
	She’ll no tak nae advice;
It’s, “Ach drap deid, awa bile yer heid,
	Or Ah’ll punch yer ticket twice!”
Her faither’s just a waster,
	Her mither’s on the game;
She’s just a Kelty Clippie,
	But I love her just the same.		

‘Clippie’ – Bus Conductress; ‘Pyramids’ – the Pit Bings (slag heaps); ‘Happyland’ – Miners’ Rows in Lochgelly in Fife, now demolished; ‘Pitch and Toss’ – Game of chance favoured in mining areas where bets are made on the toss of a coin. The tune is an adaptation of the well known Scots song Maggie Cockabendie.
		Fife’s Got Everything according to one of the songs by John and Davey on the album. A slightly exaggerated claim perhaps, but these two Fifers from Dunfermline and St Andrews respectively go a long way to prove it. Comedy songs, serious songs and recitations paint both a contemporary and past picture of this beautiful part of Scotland from two of the finest entertainers to come out of the ancient ‘Kingdom of Fife’. King James VI of Scotland described Fife as a ‘beggar’s mantle fringed with gold’ and this inspired the name of the band who provide the instrumentals and the backings - Jock Ritchie from Inverkeithing on fiddle, Jock Mullen from Kelty on accordion, Robin McKidd from Glenrothes on guitar and bass and Brian Miller from Penicuik on guitar and mandolin.

Buy the CD from the Springthyme webpage for <a href="http://www.springthyme.co.uk/1002/">John Watt & Davey Stewart: Shores of the Forth</a> where there are links to iTunes to download the Kelty Clippie and other songs on the album. 
		
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Kelty Clippie

Springthyme is a record label dedicated to presenting Scotland's living tradition in song and music. Founded in 1974 by musician and singer Pete Shepheard, the label has introduced many fine singers, musicians to the world of recorded music. The very first album was recorded during the weekend traditional music festival held in Kinross in 1973 with musicians including Aly Bain and Tom Anderson and the Shetland Fiddlers and the first recording of ballad singer Stanley Robertson of Aberdeen. Other artistes on Springthyme include Jim Reid, The Foundry Bar Band, Ossian, Jock Duncan, Bill Black, Duncan Williamson, Lizzie Higgins, Jim Crawford, Tom Hughes, John Watt & Davey Stewart, Iain McLachlan and many more including a CD from Pete's own band Shepheard, Spiers & Watson. Springthyme has also issued recordings from their field recordings archive in cooperation with the Musical Traditions label.