Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'

Subject: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: Margo
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 01:26 AM

These are the Robert Burns lyrics. I'm a bit surprised that the version of this in the DT is so different - but here it is:

Charlie He's My Darlin'
by Robert Burns

'Twas on a Monday morning,
Right early in the year,
That Charlie came to our town,
The young Chevalier.

Chorus-An' Charlie, he's my darling,
My darling, my darling,
Charlie, he's my darling,
The young Chevalier.

As he was walking up the street,
The city for to view,
O there he spied a bonie lass
The window looking through,
An' Charlie, &c.

Sae light's he jumped up the stair,
And tirl'd at the pin;
And wha sae ready as hersel'
To let the laddie in.
An' Charlie, &c.

He set his Jenny on his knee,
All in his Highland dress;
For brawly weel he ken'd the way
To please a bonie lass.
An' Charlie, &c.

It's up yon heathery mountain,
An' down yon scroggie glen,
We daur na gang a milking,
For Charlie and his men,
An' Charlie, &c.

Does anyone have any idea as to the meaning of the last verse: we dare not go a milking for Charlie and his men. What....? Margo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 06:34 AM

Apparantly, there are at least four versions of this song, all more-or-less contemporary with each other; the one in the DT, here:  Charlie is my Darling  which was written by Lady Nairne, one by James Hogg, one by Captain Charles Gray, and the one you quote, by Burns.  The first two are Jacobite songs, and quite similar to each other.  I don't think I've seen Gray's version, but I bet Bruce Olson has.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Nov 00 - 09:32 PM

CHARLIE IS MY DARLING.

(James Hogg's version)

'Twas on a Monday morning,
Right early in the year,
That Charlie came to our town,
The young Chevalier.

And Charlie he's my darling,
My darling, my darling,
And Charlie he's my darling;
The young Chevalier.

As Charlie he came up the gate,
His face shone like the day:
I grat to see the lad come back
That had been lang away.

And ilka bonny lassie sang,
As to the door she ran,
Our king shall hae his ain again,
And Charlie is the man.

Out-owre yon moory mountain,
And down yon craigy glen,
Of naething else our lasses sing
But Charlie and his men.

Our Highland hearts are true and leal,
And glow without a stain;
Our Highland swords are metal keen,
And Charlie he's our ain.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 04:20 PM

James Dick in 'The Songs of Robert Burns' took Burns' version (SMM #428) to be entirely original, but in Prof Kinsley's edition reference is given to a broadside version of c 1775 as the basis for Burns' song. [The tune in SMM is the earliest version known.] Kinsley's reference is: Ritter, Neue Quellenfunde, 1903, pp. 8-12. This I have not seen, nor can I find this early broadside on the Bodley Ballads website, or in Steve Roud's folk song index, where "Charlie is my darling", all versions, are #5510.

In Dave Harker's 'Songs from the Manuscript Collection of John Bell' (Surtees Society, 1985) is an extended version of the song in Bell's handwriting (c 1810-30?) which goes as follows:

Twas on a Monday Morning
   Right early in the year
That Charlie came to our Town
   The young Chavalier

   An Charlie he's my darling
      My darling, my darling-
   Charlie he's my darling
      My darling, my darling
   Charlie he's my darling
      The young Chavalier

All the way along the Street
   The Pipes blow'd loud and Clear
and all the folks came running out
   To greet the Chavalier

As Charlie walked up the Street
   The City for to View
He spied a pretty Maiden
   The Window looking thro!

Sae light he jumped up the Stair
   And twirled at the pin
And wha Sa ready as hersel
   To let the Laddie in

He took the maiden on his knee
   all in his Highland dress
For brawlie weel he ken'd the way
   To please a bonny lass

He kilted up her Petticoat
   and then his Phillibag
Sae Rarely and so Marrily
   They dansed the Highland Jig

He took out a Silken purse
   As long as his arm
Here take ye this fair Maiden
   I hope Ive done no harm

Its up the Misty Mountain
   An down the Foggy glen
I cannot go a Milking
   For Charlie and his Men

Kinsley notes that the last here, and in the SMM version, is from the early broadside, but is not otherwise very informative about what Burns took from it.

Note that Willing Allingham adapted the last verse for his "The Fairies" ['Oxford Book of English Verse', #776]:

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We darent' go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
........

I suspect that Murray on Saltspring can add considerably to this subject.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: Margo
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 04:43 PM

I still don't understand the last verse about the milking.... any ideas? Margo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 05:55 PM

Ancient theme: Maids that went alone a-milking were prone to lose their maidenheads before returning. For example, in DT see "Laird of the Dainty Doonby" and "Dabbling in the Dew".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charlie He's My Darlin'
From: GUEST,PM
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 06:09 PM

The song is about Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was rumoured to be quite a ladies man, as was Rabbie Burns. Anyway, the last verse probably means the maids were too afraid to go out milking because of Charlie and his men's amorous advances.