DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows

Subject: Lyr Add: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 01:31 AM

This is an edited DTStudy thread, and all messages posted here are subject to editing and deletion.
This thread is intended to serve as a forum for corrections and annotations for the Digital Tradition song named in the title of this thread.

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Robert Rodriquez asked me about this song last night. I found it tucked in a thread where it would never be found, so I thought I'd post it here. Anybody know other versions?

Thread #11190   Message #1120626
Posted By: GUEST
21-Feb-04 - 04:22 PM
Thread Name: Counting Songs
Subject: ADD Version: Three Craws

The one about the three crows is

THREE CRAWS

Three craws sat upon a wa', sat upon a wa', sat upon a wa',
Three craws sat upon a wa
On a cold and frosty morning.

The first craw couldna flee at a',...

The second craw fell an' broke it ja',...

The third craw was greetin' for it's ma,...

The fourth craw wasna there at a',...

An' that's a' we ken aboot the craws,....

-- The University of St. Andrews Students' Union Song Book (1958)

There is a lovely one for telling your fortune by counting the birds in a tree, but I've forgotten which record I have it on.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzCdQbxgkAQ

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 01:33 AM

Thread #90597   Message #3197523
Posted By: Jack Campin
28-Jul-11 - 05:56 PM
Thread Name: 3 Ravens (Ravenscroft) what's it about?
Subject: RE: 3 Ravens (Ravenscroft) what's it about?

Three craws sat upon a wa
sat upon a wa
sat upon a wa
Three craws sat upon a wa
On a cold and frosty mornin'.

The first craw fell an' broke his jaw
fell an broke his jaw
fell an broke his jaw
The first craw fell an broke his jaw
On a cold and frosty mornin.

The second craw couldna flee at a
couldna flee at a
couldna flee at a
The second craw couldna flee at a
On a cold and frosty mornin.

The third craw wis greetin for his ma
greetin for his ma
greetin for his ma
The third craw was greetin for his ma
On a cold and frosty mornin.

The fourth craw wisnie there at a
wisnie there at a
wisnie there at a
The fourth craw wisnie there at a
On a cold and frosty mornin.

A local housing estate commissioned bronze statues of three craws sitting on the wall in front, with that rhyme underneath. They were fixed to the wall by their thin bronze legs. Somebody sawed one off and made off with with it. So there are just twa corbies left.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 01:34 AM

Thread #40139   Message #574055
Posted By: Crazy Eddie
17-Oct-01 - 06:33 AM
Thread Name: What did you sing as a kid?
Subject: RE: BS: What did you sing as a kid?

Scabby Doug's song
Three craws sat upon a wa' Sat upon a wa' Sat upon a wa-a-a' Three craws sat upon a wa' On a cauld an' frosty mornin'. continues

The first crow,
fell & broke his jaw,
fell & broke his jaw,
fell & broke his jaw-aw-aw-aw.
The first crow,
fell & broke his jaw,
On a cold & frosty Morning.

The next crow,
Was cryin' for his maw

Repeat as per previous verse

The third crow, Wasn't there at all

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 01:38 AM

I heard a song similar --
not exactly these words, but similar --
on a studio recording
by Richard Dyer-Bennet.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcdon08MEBk

Subject: RE: DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 01:40 AM

And here are the Digital Tradition lyrics. I don't know where this version is from. I couldn't find the song in the Traditional Ballad Index.

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THREE CRAWS

Three craws sat upon the wa',
Sat upon the wa', sat upon the wa'-a'-a'-a',
Three craws sat upon the wa'
On a cold and frosty morning.

[similarly:]

The first craw he flew awa'

The second craw fell and broke his jaw

The third craw was greetin' for his maw

The fourth craw he wisnae there at a'

And that's a', absolutely a'.

@kids @bird @animal
filename[ THRECRAW
TUNE FILE: THRECRAW
CLICK TO PLAY
MS

Popup Midi Player

Subject: RE: DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Jim McLean
Date: 06 Dec 19 - 05:07 AM

I used that tune in 1960 for my anti Polaris song "We Dinnae Want Polaris" AKA "The USA are gi'en Subs Away". It was recorded on the Ding Dong Dollar LP and released in America on Folkways in 1961 as "Scottish Repiblican and Anti Polaris Songs."

Subject: RE: DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 Dec 19 - 07:45 PM

Still a great favourite with Scottish kids of today, thanks to Singing Kettle, Artie's Tartan Tales, and others who are keeping Scots song alive in our primary schools.

Subject: RE: DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: GUEST,tuvya
Date: 20 Jun 20 - 07:13 PM

I think I heard once:
Three craw sat upon a wa...
the first craw couldna find his ma...
the second craw couldna find his pa...
the third craw ate the other twa...
the fourth wasn' there at a'

What a cold abd frosty mornin that musta been

Subject: RE: DTStudy: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 20 - 01:13 AM

Ane o' thae craws " couldnae flee ava' " (Anglice, "could not fly at all").

Subject: ADD Version: Three Craws / Three Crows
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 06:35 PM

Any other versions? It's Number 4581 in Roud (click)

There's a very nice recording at Kist o' Riches:

THREE CRAWS

Three craws sat upon a wa, sat upon a wa, sat upon a wa;
Three craws sat upon a wa on a cold and frosty mornin.
Oh, the first craw couldnae flee at aa ...
Oh, the second craw greetit [cried] for its ma ...
Oh, the third craw fell and broke its jaw ...
The fourth craw wisnae there at aa ...
And that's how we heard aboot the craws ...
On a cold and frosty mornin.


CONTRIBUTORS: Unknown (child)
REPORTERS: Hamish Henderson, Prof. Kenneth Goldstein
TRACK DURATION: 0:02:15

LANGUAGE: Scots
GENRE: Song

COLLECTION: SOSS

RECORDING LOCATION

County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Strichen
Village - Strichen
TRACK ID: 45461

ORIGINAL TAPE ID: SA1960.137

ORIGINAL TRACK ID: SA1960.137.1_36

AUDIO QUALITY: Good

SOURCE TYPE: Reel to Reel tape

For 'Three Craws Sat Upon a Wa' (Roud 4581), see:
'Doh Ray Me, When Ah Wis Wee' (E. McVicar, 2007) p. 142

PERMANENT LINK: http://tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/45461

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