The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #14555   Message #126265
Posted By: Murray on Saltspring
21-Oct-99 - 04:07 AM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: A Wee Cock Sparrow
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Wee Cock Sparrow
I heard DMcR sing the song one Hogmanay broadcast on TV (Scottish TV, maybe, not BBC), 1959 or so. He was I suspect half-cut at the time, and I knew from observation that he used to frequent bars (the same pubs as I did, I mean)--by the bye, when he spoke it was in a quite "Anglified" manner- tho he was a master of the Scots.--Anyway this is my recollection:


THE WEE COCK SPARRA

A wee cock sparra sat on a tree,
A wee cock sparra sat on a tree.
A wee cock sparra sat on a tree,
Chirpin' awa' as blythe as could be.

[similarly, i.e. 1st line sung three times]

Alang cam a boy, wi' a bow an' an arra,
Says he, I'll get ye, ye wee cock sparra.

Ra boy wi ra arra let fly at ra sparra,
An' he hit a man that was hurlin' a barra.

Ra man wi' ra barra cam owre wi ra arra,
Says, D'ye tak me for a wee cock sparra?

Ra man hit ra boy, tho he wisna his farra,
An' the boy stood an glowered, he wis hurt tae ra marra.

An' a' this time ra wee cock sparra
Wis chirpin' awa' on the shaft o' ra barra.

--I think I've got it fairly close. The "ra" in there, as you may guess, is dialect for "the".