"and the Wee Cooper of Fife would be arrested for spousal abuse"

We used to go to a singing club in Selkirk and the woman running it had chosen to do 'Wee Cooper of Fife' one week. The following week we were about to do it again when two po-faced women both declared that we couldn't possibly do that song as it stood and one produced new lyrics which she had written herself - which in all truth were pretty badly written anyway! The majority there looked slightly bewildered by it all. Some didn't say anything but gave each other exasperated looks. Various other people suggested that the song was of its time, was a humorous song anyway, and that singing it didn't mean one was condoning domestic abuse. One of the complainers then went into a long lecture about the evils of domestic abuse which was aimed primarily at me - presumably because I was the only male in the room. I must add I've never a woman in my life! Anyway the woman was being more than a bit tedious but I could have lived with that, however my other half took great objection to me being picked on and she upped and left with me in tow - as I needed a lift home :-)