Origins: Coulter's Candy

Subject: RE: MUS ADD: Coulter's candy
From: Metchosin
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 03:49 PM

John, if you type Coulter's in the digitrad lyrics search box on the fourm page you will come up with two versions with all the lyrics.

We were taught this song by my Grandmother, but perhaps she came to Canada before the Coulter's version came into being, because there is no reference to the brand name in her song. In place of "Coulter's candy" we just sing "sugar candy". Also, she sang Owa Dowa, Owa Dowa Dee in place of Ally Bally Bee.

Subject: RE: MUS ADD: Coulter's candy
From:
Date: 21 Jan 01 - 03:31 PM

Whilst researching the attributes of Candy freezers i was amazed to discover your website and the words to COULTERS CANDY, a song which has been sung by three generations of our family.I was most interested to discover the full version,having previously only ever heard the first verse. John Airdrie,SCOTLAND

Subject: Lyr Add: COULTER'S CANDY (plainer English version)
From: BK
Date: 13 Oct 99 - 09:36 PM

I got a message requesting the plainer language version of "Coulter's Candy" I'd mentioned in a past thread. Then was told about putting line break commands... Sooooo, I stuck line breaks (I think that's what they are called; know NOTHING about HTML) on the ends of the lines & spaces of the words on my hard drive WP file, copied the whole schmear to the clipboard, & I'll paste them here. Hope it works... Cheers, BK

(hope it doesn't have a million little "br's" in it. I think it came from an album by the "Kerries?"

COULTER'S CANDY (plainer English version)

CH
Allee Ballee, Allee Ballee Bee,
sittin' on yer Mammie's Knee
Weepin' for another bawbee
'ta buy some Coulter's candy

Here comes Coulter down the street,
sweatin' in the summer heat
all the children 'round his feet
cryin' for Coulter's candy

Poor wee Jean was a-lookin' mighty thin,
just a bag of bones covered over with skin
now she 's sportin a wee double chin
from eatin' Coulter's candy

Now (wee) brother Johnny's cryin' too
so what can a poor wee mommy do
but give them another penny or two
ta' buy some Coulter's candy

You know when Robbie comes around
you'll hear him singing his well-known song
come buy my candy and grow up strong
come buy my Coulter's candy


Another verse from an Australian friend:

Now the days are short and the nights are cold
an' we're all sittin' on the Dole
but there's still another penny in the sugar bowl
ta buy some Coulter's candy.

This version is a lot easier for me to sing, & American audiences to comprehend. We get a lot of compliments on it.

Subject: Tune Add: COULTER'S CANDY
From: alison
Date: 04 Feb 99 - 08:09 PM

hi,

I always knew this as "Ally bally bee"......mum and dad used to sing it to us as kids.

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:Coulter's candy
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
C2E2G2G2|A2A2G4|C2E2G2G2|FE3D4|C2E2G2G2|A2A2G3E|
C2E2G2E2|D4C4|C2E2G2G2|AGFAG4|CE2G3G2|FE3D4|
C2E2G3G|A2A2G3E|C2E2G2E2|D4C4||

Subject: RE: Lurics; Coulter's Candy (Caulter's ?)
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Mar 97 - 03:09 PM

Surprise! It's in the database. Look for Coulter* or candy

Subject: RE: Lurics; Coulter's Candy (Caulter's ?)
From: Allan....
Date: 29 Mar 97 - 09:24 AM

My Grandmother used to sing this to me ! Ally bally, ally bally bee, Sitting on my grannies knee, begging for a wee baw'bee, tae by some Coulter's candy. A baw'bee was a halfpenny, and the song is Scottish. I don't know the rest of the lyrics, but if anybody knows them,I would be grateful.

Subject: Lyrics; Coulter's Candy (Caulter's ?)
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Mar 97 - 03:10 AM

A friend is trying to find the words to Coulter's Candy, it's either Scottish or Irish & he thinks the Clancy's and/or Makem may have done it way back. Thank you in advanced.