Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer

Subject: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: GUEST,Chris Nixon
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 04:32 PM

In my usual disorganised way I've mislaid the words of a song I was intending to work up... if anyone can help, I'd be most grateful. It appears to be a bothy ballad and the first verse is as follows:

At the top of the Garioch in the lands of Leith Hall A scrankie black farmer near Earlsfield did dwell, With him I engaged a servant to be, Which made me lament going far from the sea.

Hope you can save my sanity, as I can't find that bit of paper anywhere! Thanks, Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: nutty
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:31 PM

Found the lyrics on a German site .... small world isn't it

scranky black farmer

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SCRANKY BLACK FARMER
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:36 PM

Ya beat me, nutty. I'll just go ahead an paste them in, looks like a DT song to me.......

THE SCRANKY BLACK FARMER

1. At the tap o' the Garioch, in the lands of Leithhall,
a scranky black farmer in Earlsfield did dwell;
wi' him I engaged, a servant to be.
Which makes me lament I went far frae to sea.

2. I engaged wi' this farmer to drive cart and ploo;
hard fortune convenit an ill-fated crew,
I ane of the number,
which causes me rue that e'er I attempted the country to vie.

3. It's early in the mornin' we rise to the yoke,
the storm and the tempest can ne'er make us stop;
while the wind it does beat, and the rain it does pour,
and aye yon black farmer he on us does glowre.

4. But the time is expiring, and the day it will come,
to various countries we all must go home;
bonnie Jeannie must travel, bonnie Bawbie also,
back to the beyont o' Montgomery must go.

5. So farewell, Rhynie, and adieu to you Clatt,
for I hae been wi' you both early and late
- both early and late, both empty and fou,
so farewell, Rhynie, I'll bid you adieu.

6. So farewell, Bawbie, and adieu to you all,
likewise to the farmer that lives at Leith-hall;
for to serve this black farmer I'm sure it's nae sport,
so I will going to my bonnie seaport.

from the site linked above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: GUEST,Chris Nixon
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:44 PM

Many thanks to you both - all the best Chris

Subject: Tune Add: THE SCRANKY BLACK FARMER
From: MMario
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 07:40 PM

There was also this on the site:

X:1
T:Scrankie Black Farmer
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:C
V:1
z4D3/2E/2|F2E2D2|C2D2F3/2G/2|A2c2E2|
D4D3/2E/2|F2G2A2|c2G2c2|d2c2B2|A4D3/2E/2|
F2G2A2|c2G2c2|d2c2B2|A4DE|F2ED ED|C2D2FG|A2c2E2|D4z2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 07:44 PM

For the record, the text given above is the same as that printed in Buchan and Hall 'The Scottish Folksinger'. They give their source as bothy ballad from Buchan area of Aberdeenshire taken from 'The Miscellanea of the Rymour Club'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:32 AM

The tune is the same too, though also the same as one in the Greig-Duncan collection, which has a couple of other slightly variant tunes (and a couple of extra verses). According to the notes there the farmer is named as William Ironside and Daniel Skinner in other versions (they farmed Earlsfield until 1863 and then until 1882 respectively) and there is an Autobiography of Daniel Skinner, Farmer, Earlsfield. Also: "Skinner was dark, as can be confirmed from a photograph in the possession of Mr.Alexander Bruce, Aberdeen, and therefore fits the title."

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scrankie Black Farmer
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:28 AM

I believe that some of the missing verses refer to other farms and villages in the vicinity. Kennethmont is one - I can't remember the others offhand..

A few years ago, my brother worked in the malt whisky distillery which is at Kennethmont, just along from Leith Hall.

Cheers

Steven