The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #48920 Message #737035
Posted By: toadfrog
25-Jun-02 - 10:18 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Charlie O Charlie
Subject: Scottish words
Someone was asking about a "Chairly O Chairly," and I remembered this song, which was recorded by Ewan McColl on "Scottish Popular Songs," (Folkways No. FW8757, 1961) the liner notes are truly weird, and often do not either look like the song as I heard it, or the glossary of scottish words on this marvellous Website. Can anyone help? I'll bold the parts that are most puzzling. (I do not include the non-conforming spellings which simply imitate ordinary English pronunciations, like "cum" for "come" or "yur" for "your" or "pit" for "put.") Also, just what is the song about? Is it just a song about country life, or is it political?
CHARLIE O CHARLIE
O Charlie O Charlie come oot fippet gair And I'll gae ye oer tae your orders, For a' man a war [awa'?] tae the high hill and hells [highland hills?] For a while tae leave the bonnie boch and borders. [Buchan borders?]
O Charlie O Charlie, tak notice fit I sae [say?] And fit every man to his station, For a' man a war [awa'?] tae the high hill and hells [highland hills?] For tae view a' the pearts o' the nation.
Tae the lousen, ye'll put Shaw Ye'll put Sanderson tae lor Tae the callin' ye'll put a' dandra [old Andrew?]kate nas.Ye'll gard callin' hell [gar Collin Hill?] aye tae feed the threshin' mill, And ye'll see that he daren't weaken in faintness.
Tae the gatherin' o' the hay, Ye'll put little Isa [Lisa?] Grey, And Wi' her ye'll put her cousin Peggy. And underneath the barns, its there ye'll put your arns And ye'll see that they dare tae act tidy.
And for you, Wally Bard Ye'll carry on mistard And keep a' the lasses a howlin[hoeing?] And ye'll take care o' Jake or he'll play you a trick, And set a' your merry maids a mowin'.
And for you Annie Scot [Scott?] ye'll put on the muckle pot, And ye'll mark til [mak' tae?] them pottage in plenty,
For yon hungry grossegs are comin' fippet gair And they're kippet aye sae bare [pair?] and sae scanty.