Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)

Subject: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274) ^^
From: Abby Sale
Date: 26 Feb 01 - 06:31 PM

I'm aware there are already three versions of "X Nights Drunk" in the
database.  I like this version for several reasons - It retains the form
and tune of the earliest collected version, that obtained from a Mr.
Geikie, a hair-dresser of Edinburgh.  This was first printed in Johnson's
_Scot's Musical Museum_ in 1866. (See Bronson ver. 1)  The text is
essentially the same as the first printed version in Herd (see below.)
It retains the spoken couplet '"A horse?" quo' she,' etc. which seems
dropped from later versions but breaks up the repetetiveness of the verses
effectively.
 
 

OUR GOODMAN (274)
 

1.Hame cam' oor gudeman at e'en        [Home came our householder
And hame cam' he,
And he saw a muckle horse                  [big
Where nae horse should be.
"How cam' this muckle horse here,
How cam' this to be?
How cam' this muckle horse here
Wi'oot the leave o' me?"
     "A horse?" quo' she,                       [said
     "Ay, a horse," quo' he.
"Ye auld blin' doited carle,           [dotard (ie, foolish)
For unco blin' ye be,              [very (ie, to a remarkable degree)
It's but a bonnie milk coo          [cow
My minnie sent to me."                       [mother
"O, far hae I traivelled,
And far'er hae I been,
But a saddle on a milk coo
Saw I never nane."                              [none

2.Hame cam' oor gudeman at e'en
And hame cam' he,
Saw a pair o' muckle shoon
Where nae shoon should be.
"What's this and wha's this,                 [what's
How cam' this to be?
How cam' these muckle shoon here    [shoes
Wi'oot the leave o' me?"                     [without permission
     "Shoon?" quo, she,
     "Ay, shoon," quo' he.
"Ye auld, blin' doited carle,
And blin'er may ye be,
It's but a pair o' water stoups             [jugs
My minnie sent to me."
"Far hae I traivelled
And far'er hae I been,
But siller spurs on water stoups           [silver
Saw I never nane."

3.Hame cam' oor gudeman at e'en,
And hame cam' he,
And he saw a braw plaidie,                 [attractive kilt
Where nae plaidie should be.
"How's this, and what's this,
How cam' this to be?
How cam' this braw plaid here,
Wi'oot the leave of me?"
     "A plaidie?" quo' she,
     "Ay, a plaidie," quo' he.
"Ye auld blin' doited carle,
And blin'er may ye be,
It's just a bonnie blanket,
My minnie sent tae me."
"Far hae I traivelled
And far'er hae I been,
But a blanket o' sic muckle worth,         [such
Saw I never nane."

4.Hame cam' oor gudeman at e'en,
And hame cam' he,
And he saw a hielan' bonnet                [highland
Where nae bonnet it should be.
"How's this and what's this,
How cam' this to be,
How cam' this hielan' bonnet here
Wi'oot the leave of me?"
     "A bonnet?" quo' she,
     "Ay, a bonnet," quo' he.
"Ye auld blin' doited carle,
And blin'er may ye be,
It's but a tapp't clockin is hen           [crested, brooding
My minnie sent to me."
"Far hae I traivelled
And far'er hae I been,
But a white cockade on a clockin' hen,
Saw I never nane."

5.Hame cam' oor gudeman at e'en,
And hame cam' he,
And he got a man into the bed,
Where nae man should be.
"How's this and what's this,
How cam' this to be?
How cam' this man here,
Wi'oot the leave o' me?"
     "A man?" quo' she,
     "Ay, a man," quo' he.
"Ye auld blin' doited carle,
And blin'er may ye be,
It's but a bonnie milkmaid
My minnie sent tae me."
"Far hae I traivelled,
And far'er hae I been,
But whiskers on a milkmaid
Saw I never nane."
 

As sung by Ewan MacColl on the Riverside English and Scottish Popular
Ballads series.  From Ken Goldstein's notes:
 
Modern variants of Our Goodman, one of the most popular humorous ballads in
the Child collection, tend to be ribald and bawdy.  The earliest known text
was printed in Herd's _Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs_, 1776.  A
slightly later English broadside was translated into German before the end
of the 18th century, and became part of the popular tradition of the
continent.  American texts maintain the Scottish form in essence, but have
partly rationalized the cuckolding of the husband by making him a drunkard.
MacColl's version was learned from his father....
 

In Herd, the items mentioned are:
saddle horse...milk cow................saddle on a cow's back
jack boots.....water stoups............with spurs on
sword..........parridge spurtle (oatmeal spatula or stirer)
                               ........siller-handled spurtles
powder'd wig...clocken hen.............powder on a
muckle coat....pair of blankets........buttons upon
sturdy man.....milking maid............lang bearded
  ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 26 Feb 01 - 07:18 PM

Thanks Abby. We've had this recorded version for years (maybe decades) and we've never quite been able to decipher all of the words let alone grasp their meaning.

But, what's "carle"?

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 26 Feb 01 - 07:33 PM

"Carle" is a strong, robust fellow; loosely, a man. Historically, (obsolete) a churl. Sometimes a bondman.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 27 Feb 01 - 08:49 AM

Dave - true, but this would be Scottish, so the churl aspect would be right. Labourer, peasant, "geezer." But in song it's often placed together with (or implies) some derrogatory adjective...'foolish old carle' etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 27 Feb 01 - 09:22 PM

Song and tune have been in Scarce Songs 2 on my website for some time. I also noted there the Mr. Geikie's singing provided some corrections to David Herd's text.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 27 Feb 01 - 09:43 PM

The song is #454 in Vol. V of SMM, printed in 1797.

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR GOODMAN CAME HAME AT E'EN
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 01:28 PM

I don't have access to the 1797 edition, but I found this one. I don't suppose the text changed much between editions.

From The Scots Musical Museum, Volume 3 by James Johnson & William Stenhouse (Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1853), page 466:


454
OUR GOODMAN CAME HAME AT E'EN, &c.

1. Our goodman cam hame at e'en,
And hame came he;
And there he saw a saddle-horse,
Where nae horse should be.
O how came this horse here?
Or how can it be?
O how came this horse here,
Without the leave o' me?
A horse, quo' she:
Ay a horse, quo' he.
Ye auld blind dotard carl,
And blinder mat ye be
'Tis but a dainty milk cow,
My minny sent to me.
A milk cow! quo' he;
Ay a milk cow, quo' she.
O far hae I ridden,
And meikle hae I seen,
But a saddle on a milk cow
Afore I ne'er saw nane.

2. Our goodman cam hame at e'en,
And hame came he;
He spy'd a pair of jackboots,
Where nae boots should be.
What's this now goodwife?
What's this I see?
How came these boots there,
Without the leave o' me?
Boots! quo' she:
Ay, boots, quo' he.
Shame fa' your cuckold face,
And ill mat ye see,
It's but a pair of water stoups
The cooper sent to me.
Water stoups! quo' he;
Ay, water stoups, quo' she.
Far hae I ridden,
And farer hae I gane,
But siller spurs on water stoups
Saw I never nane.

3. Our goodman came hame at e'en
And hame came he;
And then he saw a (siller) sword,
Where a sword should not be:
What's this now goodwife?
What's this I see?
O how came this sword here,
Without the leave o' me?
A sword, quo' she:
Ay, a sword, quo' he.
Shame fa' your cuckold face.
And ill mat you see,
It's but a parridge spurtle
My Minnie sent to me.
(A parridge spurtle! quo' he:
Ay, a parridge spurtle quo' she.)
Well, far hae I ridden,
And muckle hae I seen;
But siller handed (parridge) spurtles
Saw I never nane.

4. Our goodman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he;
There he spy'd a powder'd wig,
Where nae wig should be.
What's this now goodwife?
What's this I see?
How came this wig here,
Without the leave o' me.
A wig, quo' she:
Ay, a wig, quo' he.
Shame fa' your cuckold face,
And ill mat you see,
'tis naething but a clocken hen
My Minnie sent to me.
A clocken hen, quo' he:
Ay, a clocken hen, quo' she.
Far hae I ridden,
And muckle hae I seen,
But powder on a clocken-hen,
Saw I never nane.

5. Our goodman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he;
And there he saw a muckle coat,
Where nae coat shou'd be.
O how came this coat here?
How can this be?
How came this coat here
Without the leave o' me?
A coat, quo' she:
Ay, a coat, quo' he.
Ye auld blind dotard carl,
Blind mat ye be,
It's but a pair of blankets
My Minnie sent to me.
Blankets, quo' he:
Ay, blankets, quo' she.
Far hae I ridden,
And muckle hae I seen,
But buttons upon blankets
Saw I never nane.

6. Ben went our goodman,
And ben went he;
And there he spy'd a sturdy man,
Where nae man should be.
How came this man here.
How can this be?
How came this man here,
Without the leave o' me?
A man, quo' she:
Ay, a man, quo' he.
Poor blind body,
And blinder mat ye be,
It's a new milking maid,
My mither sent to me.
A maid! quo' he:
Ay, a maid, quo' she.
Far hae I ridden,
And muckle hae I seen,
But lang-bearded maidens
Saw I never nane.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yet another OUR GOODMAN (#274)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 06:23 PM

Lyrics that are nearly identical to those in the Scots Musical Museum appear in Scotish [sic] Song, Vol. 1 by Joseph Ritson (London: J. Johnson et al., 1714), page 231.

I posted another Scottish version from 1822, called HAME CAME OUR GUDEMAN, in the thread Chord Req: Seven Drunken Nights.