Twin brothers Rab and Tam cause havoc in the Tornaveen area. They stole the postman’s ducks and let them loose in the church during a service. The ministers chase the birds from pew to pew through the church.
This verse is made more interesting by the use of an “Envoi” which punctures the lighthearted mood with a sombre thought about the fate of the boys when they’d grown up. They possibly meet their end in Flanders (it’s ambiguous as to whether Barrowsgate is referring to himself or the twins, but either way the message is the same).
Note: The Tullochgorum referred to in the verse is a famous old Scottish dance tune with which Barrowsgate would have been very familiar. The Reverend John Skinner, who had lived in Echt – next door to the Balcarres Arms Hotel, where Barrowsgate was later brought up – added words to the tune.