Three Men From Carntyne
Billy Connolly Lyrics


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Three men fae Carntyne went tae join the parish
Three men fae Carntyne went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of glasgow went to sign social security!

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine
went tae join the parish
Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine
went tae join the parish

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, went tae join the parish
Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, went tae join the parish
(sing! thats the game!)

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab, went tae join the parish
Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab, went tae join the parish

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street
went tae join the parish
Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street
went tae join the parish

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street, And a lassy called Senga that works in the dairy she's been skelly ever since the Milanda boy, hit her on the heid wi' a breidboard, went tae join the parish

Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street, And a lassy called Senga that works in the dairy she's been skelly ever since the Milanda boy, hit her on the heid wi' a breidboard, went tae join the parish





AND IT WAS SHIIIIIIITE!

Overall Meaning

The song "Three Men From Carntyne" by Billy Connolly is about three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow who went to sign up for social security. They are from the area of Carntyne, which is a working-class neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. The men are depicted as being somewhat down and out, as evidenced by the mention of the bottle of wine and the five Woodbines (a brand of cigarette). The inclusion of the three men's dog, a big black Greyhound named Boab, adds a humorous element to the story.


The lyrics then take a turn towards another character, a woman named Senga who works in the dairy. She has been skittish ever since an incident with a boy from the nearby area of Milanda who hit her on the head with a breadboard. This addition to the story further emphasizes the tough, working-class environment in which these characters live.


Overall, the song is a humorous and somewhat satirical look at life in working-class Glasgow. It depicts the struggles and challenges faced by those in these communities, but does so with a lighthearted tone that is typical of Billy Connolly's style.


Line by Line Meaning

Three men fae Carntyne went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow went to sign up for social security!


Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow, along with a bottle of wine, went to sign up for social security!


Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow, along with a bottle of wine and five cigarettes, went to sign up for social security!


Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab, went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow, along with a bottle of wine, five cigarettes, and a large black greyhound dog named Boab, went to sign up for social security!


Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow, along with a bottle of wine, five cigarettes, and a large black greyhound dog named Boab, walked up our lane, down our street to sign up for social security!


Three men fae Carntyne and a bottle a wine and five Woodbine, And a big black Greyhound dug called Boab fae up oor close, alang oor street, And a lassy called Senga that works in the dairy she's been skelly ever since the Milanda boy, hit her on the heid wi' a breidboard, went tae join the parish
Three young gentlemen from the east end of Glasgow, along with a bottle of wine, five cigarettes, and a large black greyhound dog named Boab, walked up our lane, down our street. On the way, they encountered a girl named Senga who works in the dairy, and she's been scared ever since the Milanda boy hit her on the head with a breadboard. They all went to sign up for social security!


AND IT WAS SHIIIIIIITE!
And it was a terrible experience!




Contributed by Molly Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@raymondkidd2346

Grew up with this album...Great to hear.Billy Connolly is genius.

@grassic

Me too...brilliant

@GioMarron

I pass Carntyne station regularly and every time I think of that song

@louisegormley7461

The greatest comedian of all time......

@alimcmoet

This man is so much more than a comedy genius.

@CelticSaint

He really was. WAS being the 3rd person past simple form of the verb To Be. Not now.

@jamesisoliviasdad

this was on the radio as i was being born in the southern general in glasgow in 1985, id say memories but i was 3 minutes old when i first heard it ;)

@CelticSaint

How do you know this?

@jamesmclaren2268

Funnily enough I wasn't the only one in the room

@cattyaprile619

what memories this guy gave me my sense of humour lol makes me smile

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