Albion Border Reiver

[norseman]

I just got Mark Knopfler's new album, "Get Lucky", and on it is a song called "Border Reiver" which, to my ears, sounded very much like a song about a truck. An Albion, in fact. Here's the 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
Crash, box and lever she needs the heel and toe
Shes not too cold in winter but she cooks me in the heat
I'm a six foot driver but you can 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 alright
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

---
And it actually seems like I'm not the only one to think it's about a Scottish truck!  
http://www.roadtransport.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=knopfler&IncludeBlogs=22

Just thought someone else might find this of interest also.  

Edit: I read through the original lyrics I posted and found out they were rubbish, so I changed it. This is, to the best of my knowledge, what the lyrics should be. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether you can adjust the seat in it or not, hehe.

Jan.

[Alan Drake]

 'Sure as the Sunrise' was the Albion Motors trade slogan.

 Albion Motors became part of the British Leyland conglomeration in about 1968 and the Albion name was last used in 1972, although the Reiver name was carried by some Leyland badged trucks for awhile.

[wig wag]

I spent a few summers in the sixties with my dad in Albion Chieftains, running fresh fish from the trawlers that would come into
Ardrossan in Ayrshire, to the markets in Hull and Grimsby.

We came to Canada in 65.  I think that Layland and Albion where sharing the same cab by then.

Thanks for the memories

[Actros]

Off a 1963 Albion Super Reiver found in a scrapyard near where I live along with the Atki badge


A couple of proper Reiver cabs the one on the Big Lorry Blog is The Leyland G cab on a Reiver chassis

Albion Reiver RE25T


Albion Super Reiver RE33L

[Actros]

I spent a few summers in the sixties with my dad in Albion Chieftains, running fresh fish from the trawlers that would come into
Ardrossan in Ayrshire, to the markets in Hull and Grimsby.

We came to Canada in 65.  I think that Layland and Albion where sharing the same cab by then.

Thanks for the memories

Leyland Albion & Dodge all shared the LAD, the long door version Albion used is posted above on the RE25T cab, it started to be replaced in 1965 on the Leyland/Albion by the Ergomatic cab, like the one on the Albion RE33L I posted above, the Dodges went on to the 500 series.

[Actros]

'Sure as the Sunrise' was the Albion Motors trade slogan.

 Albion Motors became part of the British Leyland conglomeration in about 1968 and the Albion name was last used in 1972, although the Reiver name was carried by some Leyland badged trucks for awhile.

Albion Motors were taken over by Leyland on 31st July 1951. The amalgamation of the two companies was first discussed at the 1950 Motor Show by the then Leyland chairman Henry Spurrier and the Albion chairman Jackson Millar. They did all become British Leyland in 1968.

[norseman]

Well, thanks for all the Albion pictures and info, guys! Alan, I had no idea "Sure as the sunrise"" was actually Albion's trade slogan, that makes the song even cooler in my eyes. Hats off to Mark Knopfler!   

Jan.

[The DAFman]

Hello Jan,

Many thanks for that song and text!!!!! Mark knopfler, Solo or with the "Dire Straits" was and still is 1 of my most favorit "guitar" players ever!!!!!
I know he isn't the "best" singer, but with a very "recognizable" voice and a very good "song-writer" also!!!!!
BTW, my most favorite "song" of him is still "telegraph road"!!!!!
John, many thanks again for your pictures and info!!!!!
Greetings,

Leo

[norseman]

Hey Leo,

I'll play the song for you this coming week if you haven't heard it. I really like Mark Knopfler as well, and "Telegraph Road" and "Brothers in Arms" are my two "oldie" favorites, while "Speedway at Nazareth", "Sailing to Philadelphia", and now "Border Reiver" and "Piper to the End" are my favorite newer songs of his. 

Jan.

[Rob Archer]

I thought my maternal ancestors were Border Reivers.
They were from Clan Gregor and would often be found over the border on a raid.
Border Reivers were (to put it nicely) cattle thieves.
They would raid other clans or go into England, grab a few cattle and hightail it for the mountains.
The cattle, stolen or not, would be summered in pastures high amidst the crags.

Somewhere, in the far depths of my archives, I have the lyrics of a song the English sang about the Highlander raiders.

[norseman]

Rob,

Yep, I've read several books on the Border Reivers, and even did a presentation on them in college once. Scottish history is interesting indeed!

Jan.

[wig wag]

I thought my maternal ancestors were Border Reivers.
They were from Clan Gregor and would often be found over the border on a raid.
Border Reivers were (to put it nicely) cattle thieves.
They would raid other clans or go into England, grab a few cattle and hightail it for the mountains.
The cattle, stolen or not, would be summered in pastures high amidst the crags.

Somewhere, in the far depths of my archives, I have the lyrics of a song the English sang about the Highlander raiders.

You mean sheep ?

[carl]

i also heard it was the explanation rob suggests but a uk truck mag says the song is about the truck
jan if you like scotland search the history of scotland on the bbc iplayer its a great factual tv series

[norseman]

i also heard it was the explanation rob suggests but a uk truck mag says the song is about the truck
jan if you like scotland search the history of scotland on the bbc iplayer its a great factual tv series

Yeah, it is about the truck. Rob is just explaining what a "historical" border reiver is to those of us who might not know, I think. I am sure a lot of people out there have a hard time fathoming that the legendary Mark Knopfler would write a song about a humble truck, hehe. And thanks for the tip, I will do a search. 

Jan.