The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #43706   Message #3972367
Posted By: Steve Gardham
20-Jan-19 - 09:23 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req/Add: Brian O'Lynn & Tam o' the Linn
Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Brian O'Lynn & Tam o' the Linn
The first ms copy from the late 18thc is as given above the St Clair 3st ms. Am I right in saying this is the first appearance of the 'shit' stanza? St2 'daughter on the stairs' is in DSG and St3 the everpresent 'broken bridge'. Quite expectedly Sharpe when he published the St Clair version in his 'Ballad Book' in 1823 omitted the 'shit' stanza. Whole sets of 'new' stanzas start to appear in the 1820s in Scottish collections. Robt Chambers gives 2 quite different versions.

Popular Rhymes of Scotland 1826 (MY copy is 1844 but I'm assuming the song was in the first edition.) 4sts
1. puddings on plate
2. no breeches
3. fell in the fire
4. horse in the moss.

The Scottish Songs Vol 2. 1829 3 sts split into 6
1. sold sow, bought gryce
2. puddings on plate
3. fell in the fire (long fa la la chorus.

In a new edition of Sharpe's Ballad Book ed by David Laing in 1880 there is another version which fits in well here. 4sts with a 'fa-linkum feedledum' chorus.

1. mixture of usual first line with cap which is 'right side out wrong side in.
2. daughter on the stair
3. broken bridge (daughter)
4. horse in the moss.

Also in here needs to go the Kinloch version from 1827-9. 6 sts
1. usual 1st v.
2. bridle and saddle
3. horse in the moss
4. fell in the fire
5. puddings on plate
6. shit

BTW the 'shit' stanza could well be 17thc. I have similar pieces much longer which were printed then which go into much scatalogical detail one being an early version of 'The Slattern Wife'/'Robin-a-Thrash' Roud 2792, also found in these early Scottish collections.