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Border Reiver Lyrics
Southern bound from Glasgow town, she's shining in the sun
My Scotstoun lassie, on the border run
We're whistling down the hillsides and tearing up the climbs
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border Reiver.
Three hundred thousand on the clock and plenty more to go
Crashbox and lever, she needs the heal and toe
She's not too cold in winter, but she cooks me in the heat
I'm a six-foot driver, but you can't adjust the seat
In the Border Reiver
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
The ministry don't worry me my paperwork's all right
They can't touch me, I got my sleep last night
It's knocking out a living wage in nineteen sixty-nine
I'm just a thiever, stealing time
In the Border reiver.
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
Sure as the sunrise, that's what they say about the Albion
She's an Albion, she's an Albion
Song Info
Submitted by
dogswede On Sep 10, 2009
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This is about a truck driver journeying from Glasgow to the South (probably England)in a lorry called an Albion Reiver (makers name: Albion Motors of Scotstoun) They used to have a 'rising sun' emblem on the grill at the front of the truck, and were known for reliability, the company has long since gone, Mark sings of his paperwork being OK and of having enough sleep, that would have been the 'log sheets' that drivers had to fill out daily telling of their journey details and rest periods etc. this is the only tune I can recall that mentions trucks and trucking, especially British trucks.
An excellent article on the Albion here: carlustblog.com/2010/12/sure-as-the-sunrise.html The seats don't adjust--they're pretty barebones service-first trucks, much-loved by their drivers of a former era. And beautiful trucks/lorries. The song really captures the way the drivers felt about their trucks, it seems--some of the actual drivers helped with the research for this article and also mentioned loving Knopfler's song.
An excellent article on the Albion here: carlustblog.com/2010/12/sure-as-the-sunrise.html The seats don't adjust--they're pretty barebones service-first trucks, much-loved by their drivers of a former era. And beautiful trucks/lorries. The song really captures the way the drivers felt about their trucks, it seems--some of the actual drivers helped with the research for this article and also mentioned loving Knopfler's song.
excellent catch on the lyric!
not sure if the six foot driver "can't" or "can" adjust the seat. sounds like MK is streaching out the "n" sound rather than a "t".
In that stanza, the driver is describing the attributes of his Albion & being able to move the seat back is necessary for a 6 foot driver with a "crash box & lever" that "needs the heel & toe". My 1949 Dodge truck with the unsyncronised gear box needed double clutching & not being able to move the seat closer (I'm not 6 foot) was inconvenient at best.
walterbyrd: don't believe this trucker has a government job; reference to the Ministry is the regulatory agency for truck drivers. What he is stealing is "time". He's driving fast "whistling down the hillsides & tearing up the climbs", using the heel & toe to shift quickly, to make a decent wage. He may be cheating a bit in his logs about sleep time.
He loves his truck; he repeatedly stresses that "It's an Albion". Not so much gloating as praising his Scotstoun lassie, sure as the sun rise, it's an Albion!
Retrograde: the truck is the "Reiver", an Albion Reiver. Albion named their truck models to imply toughness. The driver is just a working man trying to make a decent living. Don't think is a bad guy, just a hard worker.
"Stealing time" when driving is like "making time" and is a euphemism for speeding.
Im wasnt sure about the truck driver theme, border reiver who raiders along the border during the tudor dynasty however im pretty certain now the song is from the drivers viewpoint.
Im wasnt sure about the truck driver theme, border reiver who raiders along the border during the tudor dynasty however im pretty certain now the song is from the drivers viewpoint.
"Crash box and lever
This seems to be a reference to a manual transmission without a synchroniser. Such transmissions require double-clutching to shift gears. The driver pushes on the clutch to shift to neutral, then releases the clutch and immediately depresses it again to shift to the new gear.... hence "she needs the heel and toe."
Wonderful song! Being in the US I will likely never see an Albion, but will certainly keep an eye out for them.
There's not much I can add to the comments to this great song, apart from to confirm that the "heel-and -toe" does refer to what was called double-declutching - changing gear by briefing letting the cogs spin in neutral in a manual box without a synchromesh.
There's not much I can add to the comments to this great song, apart from to confirm that the "heel-and -toe" does refer to what was called double-declutching - changing gear by briefing letting the cogs spin in neutral in a manual box without a synchromesh.
And no, apparently you couldn't adjust the seat in an Albion Reiver! I love the line about "she's not too cold in winter but she cooks me in the heat". I haven't been able to find out if that was something Reivers were known to do - I'd be willing to bet...
And no, apparently you couldn't adjust the seat in an Albion Reiver! I love the line about "she's not too cold in winter but she cooks me in the heat". I haven't been able to find out if that was something Reivers were known to do - I'd be willing to bet it was. Mr. Knopfler likes to get things like this right.
And finally, 'sure as the sunrise' was actually a 1950s and 60s catchphrase/ ad line of Albion's, referring to the rising sun emblem on the front (and of course their reliability).
oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-cheshire/albion_reiver_24.htm
oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-cheshire/albion_reiver_24.htm
Here is a picture of an Albion Reiver.
Here is a picture of an Albion Reiver.
Saw an Albion truck (lorry!) at the Carlisle, PA car show one year. It, however, was a Chieftain, not a Reiver. Took a photo which has disappeared. This was prior to cell cameras, darn it.
Saw an Albion truck (lorry!) at the Carlisle, PA car show one year. It, however, was a Chieftain, not a Reiver. Took a photo which has disappeared. This was prior to cell cameras, darn it.
It must be "But you CAN"T adjust the seat" surely, to make sense..?
None of the commentators thus far have picked up on the true significance of the song title - Border Reiver. The Border reivers were feuding families that lived along the Scottish-English Border causing mayhem for 300 years during the middle ages; a region which neither the Scottish or English thrones had much control over; and so, in the name of survival in an era of lawlessness, turned their focus to thieving from each other; principally cattle! During this time, the border region was known as the debateable lands; perhaps for obvious reasons. And the people that lived there were known as Reivers. Another name for reiver, is raider. They were raiders! So Mark is just playing with a double entendre in referencing a lorry called a reiver whilst setting it in the border region. Very Good Mark. Next!!
such a beautiful song~ the melody is so enjoyable~ you just wanna dance to it.
Should anyone be interested, this is the Wikipedia page on Albion Motors...and about 3/4 of the way down the page in workman blue, there's a Reiver. :)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion_Motors
Sure as the Sunrise was the slogan for Albion trucks. One of their trucks was named the Border Reiver. Here's the ad that they had, made in Glasgow. flickr.com/photos/36844288@N00/5831260133