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The Heart Of Midlothian :
The Heart of Midlothian, pictured left [click to enlage] and below, marks the spot where the entrance to the Edinburgh Tolbooth once stood ("The Heart of Midlothian" was the nickname given to the old Tolbooth prison in Edinburgh). It is located on the Royal Mile, just to the west of St. Giles Kirk, in Edinburgh and consists of a heart-shape mosaic inlaid into the cobble-stones of the street (shown in the photograph to the left). Historically Edinburgh was the centre of Midlothian for hundreds of years but since local boundary changes in 1974 the two have been seperate and distinct.
The Tolbooth was built in 1561 to collect tolls and became the administrative centre of the town. After 1640 it was also used as a prison with a scaffold for the public hanging of convicted criminals, many of their heads were then placed on public display on spikes. The Tolbooth was demolished in 1817. The criminal fraternity would spit on the door of the tolbooth as they passed by. This developed into a tradition amongst the Edinburgh people and continues to this day with many people, rich and poor, spitting on the heart in the pavement as they pass. When Billy Connolly recorded his series of programmes "Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland" he made a point of stopping and spitting on the mosaic before explaining to the camera the reasons ;-)
Other references:
1. Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel called "The Heart of Midlothian" (1818) and his story starts during the Porteus Riots of 1837
2. There is also a football team, Heart of Midlothian (or simply 'Hearts'), based at Tynecastle Stadium.
3. Heart Of Midlothian was also a song (below) sung by Andy Stewart in the 1960's: [Click here to view lyrics]
4. Heart of Lothian was also a song sung by Fish on the marillion Album Misplaced Childhood. [Click here to view lyrics]
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Heart of Lothian (Andy Stewart)
In the capital of Scotland, by the great kirk of St. Giles
There lies a heart for all to see within the Royal Mile
Now many men have stood here, from the humble to the grand
And it's known as the Heart of Midlothian.
Chorus:
It's a heart that's ever beating, it's a heart that's ever high
It's the pride of Scotland's glory, and it's fame will never die
On the spot within the Royal Mile with pride let Scotsmen stand
For here is the Heart of Midlothian.
To the west there stands a castle, famed in age old history
And to the east a palace fair and royal yet to see
While north, south, east, and west, you'll find you're in your native land
When you stand at the Heart of Midlothian
Repeat Chorus twice
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On the outskirts of nowhere,
On the ringroad to somewhere,
On the verge of indecision,
I'll always take the roundabout way.
Waiting on the rain.
For I was born with a habit,
From a sign.
The habit of a windswept thumb.
And the sign of the rain
Rain on me!
{It's started raining}
a) Wide Boy
Wide boys, wide boys, wide boys, born with hearts of Lothian.
Wide boys, wide boys, born with hearts of Lothian.
Wide boys, we were wide boys, born with hearts of Lothian
These hearts of Lothian.
It's six o'clock in the tower blocks,
The stalagmites of culture shock, {culture shock}
And the trippers of the light fantastic, bowdown, hoe-down
Spray their pheremones on this perfume uniform.
And anarchy smiles in the Royal Mile.
And they're waiting on the Slyboys, flyboys, wideboys.
Rooting, tooting Cowboys, lucky little ladies at the watering holes.
They'll score the Friday night goals.
I was born with a heart of Lothian, I was born with a heart of Lothian.
(I was bor-orn with a heart of Lothian)
(I was born with a heart of Lothian)
I was born with a heart of Lothian, with a heart of Lothian.
(End of the single version)
b) Curtain Call
And the man from the magazine, wants another shot of you all curled up.
'Cos you look like an actor in a movie shot.
But you're feeling like a wino in a parking lot.
How did I get in here anyway?
Do we really need a playback of the show?
'Cos the wideboys want to head for the watering holes, watering holes, watering holes.
Let's go.
And the man in the mirror has sad eyes.
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