Three short songs set in Edinburgh's Old Town, which runs down the sloping hill from the Castle to Holyrood Palace.

The first song is sometimes located not in Edinburgh's Canongate, but in Newcastle's Sandbank. When the song says 'Weel may the keel row', the girl is hoping that her sailor laddie is safe out on the Forth. The keel is a very important timber that runs lengthways along the bottom of a sailing ship.

As I cam doon the Canongate
The Canongate, the Canongate
As I cam doon the Canongate
I heard a lassie sing

Weel may the keel row
The keel row, the keel row
Weel may the keel row
The ship ma laddie's in

The lassies o the Canongate
O they are wondrous nice
Thy winna gie a single kiss
But for a double price

Weel may the keel row
The keel row, the keel row
Weel may the keel row
The ship ma laddie's in.

In the second song, a children's song, the girl complains that the famous One O'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle has fired and her friend has not met her yet.

One o'clock the gun's gone off
I can wait no longer
If I do my ma will say
I've been playin wi the boys over yonder

My stockings white, my garters blue
My boots all lined with silver
A red red rose upon my breast
And a gold ring on my finger.

The third song is also a children's song - the girl complains that her pal has not heard her whistling for her in the street outside her house. Perhaps her pal lives several storeys up and the girl does not want to climb all those stairs to get her.

Weary weary waitin on you
I can wait no longer for you
Three times I've whistled on you
Are you coming out?

Weary weary weary
Weary weary weary
Weary weary weary
Are you coming out?

Weary, weary
Weary, weary
Weary, weary
Are you coming out?

The Canongate set, sung by the Linties with Stuart Miller From Waitin On A Bus, Linties 32. Available from Coda Music or Foot Stompin'.