What It Is

Gmi                                    Bb 
Drinking dens are spilling out, there's staggering in the square, 
        Eb                                   Bb         F 
there's lads and lasses falling about and a crackling in the air, 
Gmi                               Bb 
down around the dungeon doors, the shelters and the queues, 
Eb                           Bb              F 
everybody's looking for somebody's arms to fall into 
 
       Gmi        Eb  F 
That's what it is 
               Gmi    Eb  F 
that's what it is now 
 
 
There's frost on the graves and the monuments but the taverns are warm in town, 
people curse the government and shovel hot food down, 
lights are out in city halls, the castle and the keep, 
moon shines down upon it all, the legless and asleep 
 
Eb 
And it's cold on the tollgate 
Bb 
with the wagons creeping through 
Eb 
cold on the tollgate 
    Bb                  F 
God knows what I could do with you 
 
 
That's what it is 
that's what it is now 
 
 
The garrison sleeps in the citadel with the ghosts and the ancient stones 
high on the parapet the Scottish piper stands alone 
and high on the wind, the highland drums begin to roll 
something from the past just comes and stares into my soul 
 
 
It's cold on the tollgate, 
with the caledonian blues 
cold on the tollgate 
god knows what I could do with you 
 
 
That's what it is 
that's what it is now 
 
 
There's a chink of light, there's a burning wick, there's a lantern in the tower, 
Wee Willie Winkie with a candlestick still writing songs in the wee-wee hours, 
On Charlotte Street I take a walking stick from my hotel 
the ghost of Dirty Dick is still in search of Little Nell 
 
 
That's what it is 
that's what it is now 
that's what it is 
that's what it is now