Lyrics - No Churchman Am I by Burns Robert

No
Churchman am
I (
Robert
Burns)
INo
Churchman am
I for to rail and to write,
No
Statesman nor
Soldier to plot or to fight,
No sly
Man of business contriving a snare,
For a big-belly'd bottle's the whole of my care.
II
The
Peer
I don't envy,
I give him his bow;
I scorn not the
Peasant, tho' ever so low;
But a club of good fellows, like those that are here,
And a bottle like this, are my glory and care.
III
Here passes the
Squire on his brother-his horse;
There
Centum per
Centum, the
Cit with his purse;
But see you the
Crown how it waves in the air,
There a big-belly'd bottle still eases my care.
IVThe wife of my bosom, alas! she did die;
For sweet consolation to church
I did fly;
I found that old
Solomon proved it fair,
That a big-belly'd bottle's a cure for all care.
VI once was persuaded a venture to make;
A letter inform'd me that all was to wreck;
But the pursy old landlord just waddl'd up stairs
With a glorious bottle that ended my cares.
VILife's cares they are comforts, a maxim laid down
By the
Bard, what d'ye call him, that wore the black gown;
And faith
I agree with the old prig to a hair;
For a big-belly'd bottle's a heaven o care.
A
Stanza added in a
Masonic
Lodge:
Then fill up a bumper and make it o'erflow,
And honours masonic prepare for to throw;
May every true brother of th' compass and square
Have a big belly'd bottle when harassd with care.
In
III, the crown refers to a tavern sign in
Mauchline, sporting the mottoof
Sir
J
Whiteford's arms, "
D'en
Haut".
In
VI, opening quote from
Young's
Night
Thoughts.
Tune:
Prepare, my dear brethern, to the tavern let's fly (27)filename[
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DOCUMENT
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