Ballad of Beefcan Close

As I gaed up the Overgate
A lassie I did spy
She winked tae me wi' the tail o' her ee
As I gaed passin' by

Ricky doo dum day doo dum day
Ricky dicky doo dum day

I asked her what her name was
Says she Jemima Ross
An' I bide up the toon wi' Mistress Broon
In a hoose in the Beefcan Close

She taen me tae a lodgin' hoose
At the tap o' the Scourin' Burn
Twas there that Rabbie Burns said
That man was made tae mourn.

As I gaed up the Beefcan Close
The stairs were awfie dark
So I taen ma siller fae ma inside pooch
An' tied it tae the tail o' ma sark

She taen me intae the kitchen
An' she bade me sit doon
An' she winked tae me wi' the tail o' her ee
We'll haud awa ben the room

She gied me pies an' porter
An' she gied me pints o' beer
An' I eat an' drink as muckle that nicht
As would've held a guid New Year

Nae sooner had we settled doon
Tae spend a peacefu' nicht
When at the door cam a loud rat-tat
At the brakin' o' daylicht

In stepped twa big policemen
An' grabbed me by the hair
They gar'd me dance a whirly-ma-jig
An' ma sark fell doon the stair

But man I had a dream that nicht
I dreamt o' Jemima Ross
But when I awoke I was lyin' on ma back
In the middle o' the Beefcan Close

Now when tae the toon you venture
And if the stairs are dark
An' ye're on the spree just be like me
Tie yir siller tae the tail o' yer sark.

Ricky doo dum day doo dum day
Ricky dicky doo dum day