Music

Coulter’s Candy

July 26, 2026 Sally6 Comments

Today’s Sunday Song Lyrics prompt is to find a song that mentions candy, honey, sugar or sweet.

I settled on a Scottish children’s song called Coulter’s Candy, mostly because I have wonderful memories of my granddaughter “dancing” to it when she was not quite two years old. Dancing involved running around and around the couch, occasionally stopping to pull other people into the “dance”.

Poor kid, I inundated her with Scottish songs. I played The Broon Coo, Katie Beardie, Rattlin’ Bog, and Three Craws. But she really loved Coulter’s Candy.

Coulter’s Candy is an awful song if you think about the lyrics. One verse is about a little girl being a “rickle of bones covered over with skin,” but, feed her some Coulter’s Candy and she’s getting “a wee double chin.”

How unnutritious of the song. Still, it’s a fun one to dance to.

Main Chorus:
Ally bally, ally bally bee,
Sittin’ on yer mammy’s knee,
Greetin’ for a wee bawbee, (crying) (a halfpenny)
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy. (to)

Poor wee Jeanie’s gettin’ awfy thin, (awfully)
A rickle o’ banes covered ower wi’ skin, (bones) (over)
Noo she’s gettin’ a wee double chin, (now)
Wi’ sookin’ Coulter’s Candy. (sucking)

Mammy gie’s ma thrifty doon, (give) (money box) (down)
Here’s auld Coulter comin’ roon’, (old) (around)
Wi’ a basket on his croon, (with) (crown/head)
Selling Coulter’s Candy.

When you grow old, a man to be,
you’ll work hard and you’ll sail the seas,
an’ bring hame pennies for your faither and me,
Tae buy mair Coulter’s Candy. (more)

Coulter he’s a affa funny man, (very)
He maks his candy in a pan, (makes)
Awa an greet to yer ma, (away) (cry) (your)
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy. (to)

Little Annie’s greetin’ tae,
Sae whit can puir wee Mammy dae, (so) (what) (poor) (do)
But gie them a penny atween them twae, (between) (two)
Tae buy mair Coulter’s Candy.

Life

Song Lyric Sunday: Empowerment

July 19, 2026 Sally10 Comments

This is my second stab at the blogging challenge called Song Lyric Sunday. This week the theme is to find a song that carries a message of empowerment.

The first song that came to mind was Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer. I won’t post all the lyrics but would encourage you to listen to the song. It’s the story of young man leaving and essentially being beat up by the world, squandering what little he had, longing to go home. The final verse is this picture of hope:

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains

The fighter still remains.

Perseverance. Grit. Sticktoittiveness. Tenacity. Call it what you want. It’s an empowering picture.

Honestly, I’m not a fan of boxing. It seems a poor way to settle anything. I found this photo of my father the other day, though, boxing with his brother at a summer camp where they worked. I’m throwing it in just because.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

June 21, 2026 Sally1 Comment

Until this morning, I had no idea that this song had ties to the Liverpool Football Club. It shows how much professional football (soccer) I watch — although I truly believe soccer is one of the best sports ever. I loved watching my kids play soccer!

I always associated the song with the Rogers & Hammerstein musical Carousel. It is sung after Billy Bigelow dies to comfort his grieving widow and again at his daughter’s graduation which is the finale.

For Liverpool it has special meaning because of the Hillsborough tragedy there in 1989.

I’m posting a Gerry & the Pacemakers version rather than a Carousel version because I find it easier to listen to — plus all the lip-synching in this video is fun.

It’s the kind of song that good for grads and anyone facing difficulty. We are stronger than we know.

Lyrics:

When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone,
You’ll never walk alone.

This is my response to Song Lyric Sunday where the prompt was to find a song that relates to Dads and Grads.