The drinking dens are spilling out
There’s staggering in the square
There’s lads and lasses falling about
And a crackling in the air
Down around the dungeon doors
The shelters and the queues
Everybody’s looking for
Somebody’s arms to fall into
And it’s what it is
It’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
The lights are out in city hall
The castle and the keep
The moon shines down upon it all
The legless and asleep
And it’s cold on the tollgate
With the wagons creeping through
Cold on the tollgate
God knows what I could do with you
And it’s what it is
It’s what it is now
The garrison sleeps in the citadel
With the ghosts and the ancient stones
High up on the parapet
A Scottish piper stands alone
And high on the wind
The highland drums begin to roll
And something from the past just comes
And stares into my soul
And it’s cold on the tollgate
With the Caledonian Blues
Cold on the tollgate
God knows what I could do with you
And it’s what it is
It’s what it is now
What it is
It’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
And it’s what it is
It’s what it is now
Oh it’s what it is
What it is now
Prevod na srpski
Kako je
Kafanske rupe se prazne
Na trgu se nešto dešava
Momci i devojke umiru od smeha
A u vazduhu nešto pucketa
Dole oko vrata tamnice
skloništa i redovi
Svi traže
nečije ruke da ih zagrle
I to je što je
Tako je kako je
Ima mraza na grobovima i spomenicima
Ali toplo je u kafanama u gradu
Ljudi psuju vladu
I gutaju vruću hranu
Ugašena su svetla u gradskoj kući
u zamku i glavnoj kuli
Mesec obasjava to sve
Beznoge i usnule
A hladno je na kapiji
Kroz koju se kola vuku
Hladno na kapiji
Bog zna šta bih mogao sa tobom
I to je što je
Tako je kako je
Garnizon spava u citadeli
Sa duhovima i prastarim kamenjem
Visoko gore na parapetu
Jedan škotski gajdaš stoji sam
A visoko na vetru
Planinski bubnjevi počinju da tandrču
A nešto iz prošlosti prosto naiđe
I zuri u moju dušu
A hladno je na kapiji
Sa kaledonijskim bluzom
Hladno na kapiji
Bog zna šta bih mogao sa tobom
I to je što je
Tako je kako je
kako je
Tako je kako je
Vidi se tračak svetlosti, tamo gori fitilj
U kuli je fenjer
Mali Vili Vinki sa svećnjakom
I dalje piše pesme u sitne, sitne sate
U ulici Šarlot ja uzmem
štap za šetnju iz svog hotela
Duh Prljavog Dika
I dalje je u potrazi za malom Nel
I to je što je
Tako je kako je
Oh tako je kako je
Tako je kako je