Tell me whaur ye're gaun, lad,
An who ye're gaun tae meet
A'm headed for the station
That's in Buchanan Street,
A'll join 200,000
That's there tae meet the train
That's bringing back tae Glesca
Our ain dear John MacLean

Dominie,
Dominie
There was nane like John MacLean,
The fightin Dominie

Tell me whaur he's been, lad,
An why has he been there?
They've had him in the prison
For preachin in the Square,
For Johnny held a finger up
Tae aa the ills he saw,
He was right side o the people,
But the wrang side o the law

Johnny was a teacher
In one o Glasgow's schools
The golden law was silence
But Johnny broke the rules,
For a world o social justice
Young Johnny couldnae wait,
He took his chalk an easel
Tae the men at the shipyard gate

The leaders o the nation
Made money hand ower fist
By grindin doun the people
By the fiddle an the twist,
Aided an abetted
By the preacher an the Press
John caad for revolution
An he caad for nothin less

The bosses an the judges
United as one man
For Johnny was a danger
Tae their '14-'18 plan,
They wanted men for slaughter
In the fields o Armentiers,
John caad upon the people
Tae smash the profiteers

They brought him to the courtroom
In Edinburgh toun,
But still he didnae cower,
He firmly held his ground,
An stoutly he defended
His every word an deed,
Five years it was his sentence
In the jail at Peterheid

Seven months he lingered
In prison misery
Till the people rose in fury,
In Glesca an Dundee,
Lloyd George an aa his cronies
Were shaken tae the core,
The prison gates were opened,
An John was free once more