The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #55899   Message #871602
Posted By: GUEST,Matthew Edwards
21-Jan-03 - 02:14 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: The wind blew my lassie's plaidie away
Subject: Lyr Add: WIND BLEW THE BONNY LASSIE'S PLAIDIE AWA'
As ever Malcolm and Masato have been diligent in their searches. However here is the Jimmy McBeath text to add to the DT.

The Wind Blew the Bonny Lassie's Plaidie Awa'
also known as The Butcher of Crieff or as My Plaidie's Awa'
Tune:- Over The Hills and Far Away or The White Cockade

(From the singing of Jimmy McBeath)

For there was a bonny lassie, and she lived in Crieff.
She went into a butcher's shop when he was selling beef,
And he's gi'en to her the middle cut, and down she did fa'
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.

Chorus:
The wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
For the beef was in the basket, and she couldna rise ava.
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.


For the plaidie was lost and it couldna be found,
The lassie and the butcher lad was lying on the ground,
"O whit shall I tell to the auld folks ava?
For I canna say the wind blew my plaidie awa'."

For the wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
For the beef was in the basket, and she couldna rise ava.
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.


For the plaidie was lost and couldna be found,
The lassie she grew ill and swelled about the waist,
And Rab he was blamed for the haill o' it a',
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.

For the wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
For the beef was in the basket, and she couldna rise ava.
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.


Oot came the auld wife the laddie tae accuse,
The ministers and elders were there tae abuse,
And the butcher laddie tried to make it sure was twa,
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.

For the wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
For the beef was in the basket, and she couldna rise ava.
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.


For the lassie was sent for to come there hersel'
She looked at Rab and says, "Ye ken how I fell ?
The beef was the cause o't, ye daurna say na."
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.

The wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
For the beef was in the basket, and she couldna rise ava.
And the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.


Rab looked at the lassie and gied a wee smile,
Says he, "Ma bonny lassie, I winna you beguile,
For the minister's here making sure o' us twa,
And that'll pay for the plaidie that the wind blew awa'.

For the wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
We shall get the middle cut, the tender o' it a',
And we'll drink to the plaidie that the wind blew awa'.

For the wind blaws east, the wind blaws west.
The wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa',
We shall get the middle cut, flesh, banes and a',
And we'll drink to the plaidie that the wind blew awa'.


This was recorded for Topic records by Sean Davies at Cecil Sharp House, London, in 1966 or 1967. The recording was originally issued on the LP Jimmy McBeath; Wild Rover No More Topic 12T173, and the track is included on the Topic Voice of the People series of CDs in Volume 10 Who's that at my bed window? TSCD660, Track 21.

A fragment of another recording of Jimmy McBeath made by Alan Lomax in Elgin, Scotland in 1951 can be heard on the Rounder CD Songs of Seduction Rounder 11661-1778-2 with a slightly different text :-

There was a butcher wha lived in Crieff,
And in come a bonnie lass to buy some beef.
But he took her in his airms, aye, and doon she did fa',
O the wind's blown the bonnie lassie's plaidie awa'.

Her plaidie's awa', its awa' with the wind,
Her plaidies awa', and it canna be found.
But he took her in his airms, aye, and doon she did fa',
Saying, "I'll pay the plaidie that the wind blew awa'.


The loss of the plaidie (for fairly obvious reasons) signifies the loss of the lassie's virginity. I hope that nobody needs an explanation of the euphemistic phrase "the beef was in the basket".