Cover Song: "Ramblin' Rover" (Patreon)

Andy Stewart's wonderful ballad has such a beautiful turn of melody and chording halfway through each verse and chorus. And it's just fun. I have tweaked the lyrics ever so slightly, just for my own singing, but I don't think any of the tweaks are out of line.

There are sober men a-plenty,And drunkards barely twenty,There are men of over ninetyWho have never yet kissed a girl.But give me a ramblin' rover,From Orkney down to Dover.We will roam the country overAnd together we'll face the world.

There's many that feign enjoymentFrom merciless employment,Their ambition was this deploymentFrom the minute they left the school.And they save and scrimp and ponderWhile the rest go out and squander,See the world and rove and wanderAnd are happier as a rule.

There are sober men a-plenty, And drunkards barely twenty, There are men of over ninety Who have never yet kissed a girl. But give me a ramblin' rover, From Orkney down to Dover. We will roam the country over And together we'll face the world.

I've roamed through all the nationsIn delight of all creations,And enjoyed a wee sensationWhere the company, it was kind.And when parting was no pleasure,I've drunk another measureTo the good friends that we treasureFor they always are on our mind.

Oh, there's sober men a-plenty, And drunkards barely twenty, There are men of over ninety Who have never yet kissed a girl. But give me a ramblin' rover, From Orkney down to Dover. We will roam the country over And together we'll face the world.

If you're bent with arth-ir-itis,And your bowels have got colitis,And you've galloping bollock-itisAnd you're thinkin' it's time you died,If you've been a man of action,Though you're lying there in traction,You will get some satisfactionThinkin', "Jayzus, at least I tried."

There are sober men a-plenty, And drunkards barely twenty, There are men of over ninety Who have never yet kissed a girl. But give me a ramblin' rover, From Orkney down to Dover. We will roam the country over And together we'll face the world.

Words and music: Andy M. Stewart

Photo nicked from travel site kimkim.com