The Terror Time
A song by the great folksinger Ewan MacColl (1915-1989) on the harsh life conditions of Scottish gipsies.
"Terror time" is winter, a season in which lavori stagionali non si trovano più e resta solo il razzismo.

original text from the website:   http://www.tannahillweavers.com/lyrics/104lyr8.htm

The heather will fade and the bracken will die
Streams will run cold and clear
And the small birds they'll be going
And it's then that you'll be knowing
That the terror time is here

Where will you go aye and what will ye dae
Noo that the works a' done
And the fermer doesnae need ye
And the cooncil winnae heed ye
And you're on the road again

Woods give no shelter and the trees they are bare
Snow's lying all around
And the children they are crying
For the bed on which they're lying
Is frozen to the ground

When you need the warmth of your own human kind
You're no near a town and then
The sight of you is offending
The police they soon are sending
And you're on the road again.

Glossary (from the record "Tannahill Weavers IV" (Plant Life Records, 1981): aye/yes; ye/you;dae/do;;noo/now;;a'/all; ;fermer/farmer; cooncil/council; winnae/will not;

Recordings
Tannahill Weavers' version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=begy2Xiy9Ok
June Tabor's version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0H4bai-LS8

Ewan MacColl was father to Kirsty MacColl

page created: November 22nd 2015 and last updated: December 15th 2021