THE CALTON WEAVER

Full version in Gavin Greig, Folk-Song of the North-East, article XC, titled "The Dublin Weaver", and a slightly shorter one in Ord's Bothy Ballads, 372, "The Calton Weaver", which has a few more verses than the one in the DT:

I am a weaver...

As I gaed doon...

The more I kissed her...

[Extra verse:]
'Twas very early the next morning,
Finding myself in a strange bed,
I went to rise but I was not able,
For Nancy's charms they held my head.

I called the landlady...

[4 extra verses:]

It's I pulled out a purse with money,
And to her the reckoning I did pay down;
I paid to her thirty shillings, [= the amount demanded]
And all that remained was a single crown.

As I gaed down thro' Glasgow city
Nancy Whisky I chanced to smell,
I gaed in drank four and sixpence,
And a' 'twas left was a crooked scale.

Do I regard one single sixpence,
Or will I lay it up in store?
I'll go back and hae another gill,
It will help me home to work for more.

Then I'll go back to my old master,
So merrily I'll mak' the shuttle fly;
For I'll mak' mair at the Calton weaving
Than ever I did in a roving way.

So come all ye [etc.]

[Greig's text differs a bit, mainly as follows:]

I'm a... Dublin weaver...

...Dublin city...And I went in for to see my Nancy,
It's seven long years since I loved her well.

[Note that this changes the sense a little]

I went in with hat in hand,
And I asked pardon for being so free;
Nancy Whisky jumped on the table,--
"You're welcome in, young man, to me."

The more [etc.]

It's ben the house did come the landlord,
And he asked me for to stay all night,
And Nancy Whisky would bear me company
Till tomorrow morning or daylight.

It's in the morning [etc.]

Down the stair then came the landlord
... "Just fifty shillings, with bygone reckonings;
So pay it down and go your way."

I put my hand into my pocket,
The money all I did lay down;
And all that was left to pay meat and clothing,
It's all that was left was a single crown.

I stepped down a little farther ... crooked scale....

Now will I drink this single sixpence?...

I'll go home to my old master...

Come all you weavers [etc.].

Greig's 3 & 5 are omitted by Ord. The Irish version might well be the original, tho' the old burgh of Calton [later incorporated into the city] was well known for its weavers.

The sentiment of the song is similar to "O Brandy Leave Me Alone" (a South American lament).
This is often called "Nancy Whisky", and at times it's difficult to determine whether it should be taken literally or as an extended metaphor. In the fifties a Scottish folksinger [real name escapes me] took "NW" as her stage name.

HTML line breaks added. I hope this is what was intended! --JoeClone, 21-May-02.