The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #2144   Message #2393897
Posted By: Barry Finn
21-Jul-08 - 03:32 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Farewell to Whiskey / Johnnie My Man
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Farewell to Whiskey
Norman Kennedy recorded this on his "Ballads & Songs of Scotland" sung by Norman Kennedy on Folk-Legacy 1968. I first heard this sung by Norman in the 70's along with quite a few other songs that I also proceeded to learn from his singing. In his sleeve notes (he calls it "Johnny, My Man, Dae Ye Nae Think O' Rising") he says;
"This is a song which owes it's considerable popularity to circulation as a broadside. Ford notesit's popularity a hundred yrs ago & that the customers for the penny sheets on which it was printed were "chiefly among those who required most it's pointed moral lesson". Ord prints a version in his Bothy Ballads, as does Gavin Greig in Folk-Song Of The North-East. Norman has his version from Lizzy Higgins, daughter of the famous Jeannie Robertson, who is a fine ballad singer in her own right.

Johnny, My Man, Dae Ye Nae Think O' Rising

Johnny, My Man, Dae Ye Nae Think O' Rising?
The day is far spent an' the night's comin' on
Your siller's a' done an' your stoup's teem afore ye
Rise up my man Johnny an' come awa' hame

"Who is that I hear speakin' sae kindly?
I ken it's the voice o' my ain wifie Jean
Come in by me dearie, an' sit doon aside me
There's room in this tavern for mair for by's me"

"Johnny, my man, our bairns is a' greetin'
Nae meal in the barrel tae fill their wee wains
While ye sit here drinkin', ye leave me lamentin
Rise up, my man Johnny, an' come awa' hame"

"Dae ye nae remeber the 1st days we courted?
On a bed o' priroses we baithdid set doon
A' pickin' the flowers in each other's company
Ye ne'er thocht it lang, then, nor sought tae gae hame"

"Weel dae I mind on the days that ye mention
But those times they are past an' they'll ne'er come again
Just think on the present, an' try tae amend it
Rise up my man, Johnny, an' come awa' hame"

Johnny rase up & he flung the door open
"My curse on the tavern that 1st let me in
My curse on the whiskey that mak's me aye frisky
Sae fare thee wee', whiskey, an' I'm awa' hame.

great song

Barry