🔥 About the Song
“Belter” is Gerry Cinnamon’s signature anthem — half love song, half pint-raising confession. It’s got that unmistakable Scottish charm: scrappy, honest, and full of heart. Gerry wrote it about a woman who completely floored him, and the lyrics swing between awe and chaos, just like real love does.
The song is built for acoustic instruments — stomp, strum, sing your lungs out — and it absolutely flies on ukulele. Stripped down, it becomes both sweet and defiant: a proper belter in miniature.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in G major, which keeps the energy bright and the chords easy.
You’ll need G, C, D, and Em — your four best friends in uke land.
Verse progression: [G] – [C] – [Em] – [D]
Chorus progression: [C] – [Em] – [G] – [D]
Strumming pattern: a driving down–down–up–up–down–up around 125 bpm — aim for a galloping, foot-tapping rhythm.
For extra punch, accent beats 2 and 4 with a slight percussive slap on the strings.
In verses, you can pull it back to soft downstrokes for contrast, then burst into the full rhythm for the chorus.
Singing tip: Gerry doesn’t sing so much as shout poetry in tune. Let it crack, lean into your accent, and don’t worry about polish. If it’s heartfelt, it’s right.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- “Belter” was written about Gerry’s then-girlfriend, who inspired both the song and the album’s title track.
- The word belter in Glasgow slang means “something amazing” — or, in this case, someone amazing.
- Gerry often plays this live with a looper pedal and harmonica — the crowd usually drowns him out by verse two.
- It became an unlikely wedding song across Scotland, even though it’s about love’s chaos as much as its beauty.
🌈 Final Word
“Belter” is the definition of a crowd song — simple chords, big heart. On ukulele, it loses none of its swagger; it just trades the stomp for a smile.
Play it loud, sing it rough, and mean every word. If you’re not grinning by the second chorus, you’re doing it wrong.
