The Ballad of Greyfriars Bobby

John Gray was a gardener Who, with his wife and bairn Arrived in Edinburgh The century was nearly turned The year was 1800 That year was harsh and cold He could nae find nae work Their future so unsure To avoid the workhouse And for his family He joined the police force A constable was he A condition of his service He had to take a dog To watch by his side He chose a terrier frae sky This is the balla of Greyfriars Bobby The dog with whom his master He would stay No pain of fear For 14 long years He stood by his master's grave Succumbing to his fate In 1858 Johnny Gray passed away Laid down in Greyfriars Churchyards No marker on his grave His faithful terrier stayed there He would not go away The groundskeeper was told The dog must be a lout The Greyfriars parish told him To keep that rascal out But Bobby so devoted to his master after death The people fed and sheltered him And idoled him instead This is the balla of Greyfriars Bobby The dog with whom his master He would stay No pain of fear For 14 long years He stood by his master's grave (And he's still standing there today) Now Bobby and his Master stand together Though they're dead Their bonds, as they say Reaches far beyond the grave So now you know the story If anybody asks you You tell em of the Statue That's in Edinburgh today Yeah, yeah, yeah This is the balla of Greyfriars Bobby The dog with whom his master He would stay No pain of fear For 14 long years He stood by his master's grave (And he's still standing there today)