The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31200 Message #1024320
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
24-Sep-03 - 10:00 AM
Thread Name: Analysis of Tatties and Herrin
Subject: ADD: Tatties and Herrin
Joe asked me to post the Scottish Folksinger tune. I'd better add the text as well, though there are considerable overlaps, in particular with the set Cilla Fisher recorded.
TATTIES AN' HERRIN'
(Jake Mitchell, Peterhead: text. Isobel Baird, Boddam: tune.)
Noo your hard-workin' Scotsman's gone crazy I fear,
Each day ye maun hae your bit beef and your beer,
But ye dinnae ken though you're maybe nae carin',
Your natu-ral food it is tatties and herrin'.
Tatties and herrin', tatties and herrin',
Your natural food it is tatties and herrin'.
Noo a pound in the week, ye maun aye be content,
Ten bob tae lay by for the claes and the rent,
Half a croon ye aye can be sparin',
Ye've aye seven an' sixpence for tatties and herrin'.
When the Queen wanted someone tae fecht wi' her foes,
It wisnae awa' tae the lowlands she goes,
But awa' tae the hills where the brave an' the darin',
The lads that were fed upon tatties and herrin'.
On Alma's Heights noo the Russians said:
"We were forced tae tak' wyss for the kilt an' the plaid,"
But they didnae ken 'twas the brave an' the darin',
The lads that were fed upon tatties and herrin'.
When the harbour o' refuge was first spoken aboot
Aiberdeen and Stonehaven they were fairly pit oot,
For the Queen kent the convicts wid get their best farin'
Upon Buchan tatties an' Peterheid herrin'.
Buchan & Hall, The Scottish Folksinger, 1973, 26.
X:1
T:Tatties and Herrin
S:Jake Mitchell, Peterhead (text). Isobel Baird, Boddam (tune).
B:Buchan & Hall, The Scottish Folksinger, 1973, 26.
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:3/4
K:C
GF|E2 D2 E2|C C3 G2|E3 D E2|C4
w:Noo your hard-work-in' Scots-man's gone cra-zy I fear,
G2|c3 c c2|d2 c2 d2|e2 c2 A2|G4
w:Each day ye maun hae your bit beef and your beer,
G2|c3 c c2|d3 c d2|e2 c2 A2|G2 E3
w:But ye din-nae ken though you're may-be nae car-in',
F|G3 A G2|G2 E2 C2|C2 F2 E2|D2 C4|
w:Your na-tu-ral food it is tat-ties and her-rin'.
C3 E G2|A2 G4|c3 B A2|G2 E2
w:Tat-ties and her-rin', tat-ties and her-rin',
D2|C3 E G2|G3 E C2|C2 F2 E2|D6|C6|]
w:Your na-tu-ral food it is tat-ties and her-rin'.
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