I s'pose your all already familiar with this one...


There was an oul woman who lived in a hut,
a weel-a-weel-a-waal-yeah
There was an oul woman who lived in a hut,
Down by the river Sawl-yeah

This oul woman she had a babe
A-weel-a-weel-a-waal-yeah
This oul woman she had a babe
Down by the river Sawl-yeah

She took a penknife long and sharp
A weel..
She took a penknife long and sharp
Down...

She stuck the penknife in the babby's head (!)
A weel..
She stuck..
Down...

Three strong men came knockin' on her door
A weel...
Three strong...
Down by...

Are you the woman who killed the child?
A weel..
Are you...?
Down by...

Yes, I'm the woman who killed the child
A weel..
Yes I'm...
Down by...

They hung that woman from a rope / tree
A weel..
They hung...
Down...

So don't go stickin' knives in babbies' heads
A weel..
Don't go...
Down by...


There are different versions of this song, but the lyrics above are fairly typical. If I'm not mistaken it started life hundreds of years ago as a women's working song, i.e the kind of repetitive call n' refrain song women used to sing while working together, spinning wool for example. It might come from Scotland, I'm not sure.

They're the Celtic equivalent of US railroad songs ("Moses stood on that red sea shore / smotin' them waters with a two by four/ oh boys, can't you line 'em / oh boys, can't ya line 'em / Yeah, Eloise go linin' track")

The 'lullaby' above sounds not at all unlike a song that has risen to prominence of late thanks to beer ads ("Well I lost my heart to a Galway girl") Every time I hear that ad and the singer goes "a-way-a-way-I-ah" I can't help thinking he's going to break into a few verses of "A-weel-a-weel-a-waal-yeah"