My apologies to Masato for typing his name wrong. I must be watching too much Anime on the sci-fi channel. May as well post the whole song for the record.

THERE'S A HERRIN IN THE PAN

(Sung by Gordeanna McCulloch; "collected by Jim Mahon from his grandmother", Glasgow, 1970s.)

There's a herrin in the pan for you, auld man,
There's a herrin in the pan for you, auld man,
The heid's for you, and the tail's for me,
But the middle's for the ludgin-man.

There's an egg in the pan for you, auld man,
There's an egg in the pan for you, auld man,
There's ane for you, an there's ane for me,
But there's twa for the ludgin-man.

Ye're gettin auld an grey, auld man,
Ye're gettin auld an grey, auld man,
Ach, I wish ye were deid, wi a stane at yer heid,
An I'd gae awa wi the ludgin-man.


Sleevenotes, Gordeanna McCulloch, Sheath and Knife, Topic LP 12TS370, 1978.


I can't get to the record deck to play the vinyl at the moment, so the tune will have to be from memory. No guarantees as to its accuracy; feel free to correct.

X:1
T:There's a Herrin in the Pan
S:Gordeanna McCulloch, 1978
N:"From Jim Mahon's Grandmother, Glasgow"
N:Approx. transcription from memory. Ignore time signature!
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:4/4
K:C
D E|F/ F/ F/ F/ F2 F3/2 E/ C2|C4 z2 C C|
D/ D/ D/ D/ d4 d3/2 c/|A2 A4 z F|
c F c F/ F/ c F c2|
F G A/ A3/2 A3 G/ F/|D2 D4|]