THE BALLAD OF GREYFRIARS BOBBY

by Joel Sattler

I’ll tell you the story of Greyfriars Bobby

A story of love and of dog loyalty

If there is a heaven for faithful companions

Old Bobby is king of canine royalty 

Bobby belonged to a policeman in Scotland 

His name was John Gray and The Watch was his work

But he died in the year of 1858

And was buried in the yard at Greyfriars Kirk 

For two years he’d owned a scruffy scrappy dog

A little Skye Terrier braver than brave

Who went to the funeral quiet he stood  

And when it was over he lay on the grave

He’d wait for his master through the summer and fall

And through many months he stayed and stood guard

For 14 long years he knew just what his job was  

Through ice and through snow and the winter so hard

Some coldhearted people by this were annoyed

Said “he has no owner, he should be destroyed!”

But the Lord Provost Chambers put his money down

And bought Bobby’s license for Edinburgh town

Bobby he died and no more must he wait

But could not be buried in that sacred ground

So they laid him to rest near the Greyfriar Gate

And under a tombstone laid his small body down 

Twas never a dog twas so good and so true

The stone is still standing: a shrine just for dogs

It says “Greyfriars Bobby 18-seven-two

Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”

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 Based on a true story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby