Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)

Subject: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From:
Date: 06 Sep 99 - 09:40 AM

Anyone knows the words? Thank you. Robert Field

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From:
Date: 06 Sep 99 - 12:43 PM

I have no idea what Archie Fisher sings. The Dreg song is in DT.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From:
Date: 07 Sep 99 - 03:44 AM

The Dreg Song in the DT is not the one I'm looking for, that begins with these words:

The herrin' loves the moonlight The mackerel loves the (...) (wind?) But the oyster loves the dregging song For he comes of a gentle kind.

Archie Fisher sings that in his CD "Will Ye Gang Love". I'd like to get the whole text....

Thank you. Robert Field

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 09 Sep 99 - 07:34 PM

Robert, I've been trying to work that one out for years, and I can't. Maybe we could pool resources? Not just now, though. I'll have to listen to it again, then I'll try to post some sort of version. May take a week.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Robert Field
Date: 10 Sep 99 - 03:44 AM

Thank you,Susanne. And I am going to write down too the few words I can get. Robert Field

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Ewan McVicar
Date: 10 Sep 99 - 04:12 AM

In David Herd, Ancient & Modern Scottish Songs, Vol 2, first published 1776, are 60+ lines titled The Dreg Song.

It seems reasonable to suggest that – like the text given in the Digital Tradition – the lines are less a song than a series of children's rhymes strung together.
They include the following:

True note, true song,
I've dreg'd o'er long,
O'er lang, o'er late,
Quo' the haddock to the scate
Quo' the scate to the eel,
Cock na I my tail weel?

Note two different pronunciations above – long / lang. Two different songs, or what?

Anyway, the final lines of Herd's Dreg Song are this:

Jeery ory alie;
Weel row'd five men,
As weel your ten (I think Archie sings As weel as oor ten) The oysters are a gentle kin,
They winna tak unless you sing.
Come buy my oysters aff the bing,
To serve the sheriff and the king,
And the commons o' the land,
And the commons' o' the sea.
Hey benedicete, and that's good Latin.

Where Archie got the tune from I do not know.

Ewan McVicar

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Ewan McVicar
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 04:26 AM

The text I gave is of course on the DT - but down near the bottom of a file!

Subject: RE: Lyric Request: The Dredgin' Song
From: Brendy
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 12:30 AM

On this page, the song is called 'Dreg Song', which is in the DT, here, filed under Haddock to the Skate.
I'm not familiar with the song, but the words in the DT seem different to the ones you had in mind, though.

B.
(I wonder did he ever get the words?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Brendy
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 12:33 AM

Oh brilliant.
! Duplicate threads!
B.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 02:40 AM

Duplicate threads, Brendy? Oh, here (click) it is. Did anybody post the herring/mackerel/oyster version anywhere?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Alice
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 10:56 AM

I brought both of these threads to the top for someone who asked me to find the lyrics as sung by Archie Fisher. This friend isn't a Mudcat member, not used to searching, although he tried, so I found them and brought them to the top of the list so he could find them at home when he got online on his computer. Thanks for linking them, Joe. I didn't have time last night - kept crashing.

Question still - is either version in the DT the EXACT one Archie Fisher recorded?

Alice

Subject: RE: Lyric Request: The Dredgin' Song
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 07:01 PM

Very different! Archie starts off with the lines Russell quotes above, but after that I, too can only make out bits and pieces. Can't get ANY sense into them. Sorry! Maybe one of our Scottish members could help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg song as sung by A.Fisher
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 12:23 PM

Two times in Mudcat threads some of us, including me, have tried to get the lyrics of the Dreg Song as sung by Archie Fisher (on Will ye Gang, Love). I can't believe we can't get them, so I try again. Here is what I can get, from written sources and from what I can hear, out of Archie Fisher's singing. PLEASE, PLEASE, HELP CORRECT AND COMPLETE THIS TEXT. Thank you. Roberto

The herring loves the moonlight
The mackerel loves the wind
But the oyster loves the dredging song
For it comes of gentle kind

Jeery ory alie (??)
Weel row'd five men
As weel as your (oor?) ten
The oysters are a gentle kin
They winna tak unless you sing

Come buy my oysters aff the bing
To serve the sheriff and the king
And the commons o' the land
And the commons' o' the sea

Hey hou Harry-O
Mony a boat skail'd the ferry

Mony a (?) bonny fishing boat
Tell me a true note (of true love???)

True note true song
I've dreg'd ower lang

Ower lang ower late
Quo' the haddock tae the skate

Quo' the skate tae the eel
Cock na I ma tail weel (??)

Quo' the eel (…)??
(…)???

Jeery ory alie (?)
Weel row'd five men
As weel as your ten
The oysters are a gentle kin
They winna tak unless you sing
Come buy my oysters aff the bing
To serve the sheriff and the king
And the commons o' the land
And the commons' o' the sea

Subject: Lyr Add: DREG SONG #1 (from Cilla Fisher)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 11:53 PM

Not the version requested, I know, but possibly helpful:
Lyrics and notes copied from http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/d/dregson1.html

DREG SONG #1
(Trad - as sung by Cilla Fisher)

Fleemin's inkworks tae the gasworks
Dodge her weel and fill her creel

Jockie Lairdie's got a wee bairdie
What they ca' the skipper o' the Row

Maggie Miller has plenty siller
She fell back and I fell till her

Wattie Cochie lives in the row
Betty Buckie carries the creel

Mony a ship mony a boat
Tell me a true note

True note true song
I've dreg'd ower lang

Ower lang ower late
Quo' the haddock tae the skate

Quo' the skate tae the eel
Cock na I ma tail weel

[1965:] One of the songs in Herd's collection is the Dreg Song: nonsense verses forming a lengthy version of the half-traditional, half-improvised rowing song of the oyster-fishers of the Firth of Forth. When they were out at sea, the fishers took compass bearings on landmarks along the coast:

Fleemin's inkworks tae the gasworks
Dodge your wheel and fill your creel-a
Katie Bairdie's got a wee lairdie
That they ca' the skipper o' the Row-a ...

The 'New Statistical Account' (1845) tells us that 'long before dawn, in the bleakest season of the year, their dredging song may be heard afar off'. In the grey-shrouded mornings, a mile or two from the coast, the fishers could make out in the distance the huddled contour of Arthur's Seat, with the Newhaven lighthouse blinking nearby.

There's an auld carle sits by the sea
Wi' a white caun'le on his knee ...

The oyster-fishing is over now, but the Dreg Song lives on; in Newhaven, Leith, Portobello, Fisherrow and Musselburgh, detached fragments of it are still spinning like tops among the bairns, in the singing street. (Henderson, Alias MacAlias 6)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DREG SONG (from David Herd)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Dec 11 - 01:28 PM

From Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, Etc., Vol. 2 collected and edited by David Herd – "reprint of the edition of 1776" (Edinburgh: William Paterson, 1870), page 163:


THE DREG SONG.

I rade to London yesterday
On a crucket hay-cock,
Hay-cock, quo' the seale to the eel,
Cock nae I my tail weel?
Tail-weel, or if hare,
Hunt the dog frae the deer,
Hunt the dog frae the deil-drum;
Kend ye na Johny Young?
John Young and John Auld
Strove about the moniefald;
Jemmy Jimp and Jenny Jeus
Bought a pair of jimp deus,
Wi' nineteen stand of feet;
Kend ye nae white breek?
White breek and steel pike,
Kiss't the lass behind the dyke,
Kiss't the lass behind the dyke,
And she whalpet a bairnie;
Hey hou Harry, Harry,
Mony a boat skail'd the ferry,
Mony a boat, mony a ship;
Tell me a true note;
True note, true song,
I've dreg'd o'er long,
O'er lang, o'er late,
Quo' the haddock to the scate,
Quo' the scate to the eel,
Cock na I my tail weel?
Tail weel, and gins better,
It's written in a letter:
Andrew Murray said to Meg,
How many hens hae you wi' egg?
Steak the door and thraw the crook,
Grape you and I'se look;
Put in your finger in her dock,
And see gin she lays thereout,
She lays thereout days ane,
Sae dis he days twa,
Say dis he days three,
Sae dis he days four,
Quo' the carle o' Aberdour;
Aberdour, Aberdeen,
Grey claith to the green,
Grey claith to the sands,
Trip it, trip it through the lands;
Thro' lands, or if hare,
Hunt the dog frae the deer,
Hunt the deer frae the dog,
Waken, waken, Willie Tod,
Willie Tod, Willie Tay,
Cleckit in the month of May,
Month of May and Averile,
Good skill o' raisins,
Jentlens and fentlens,
Jeery ory alie;
Weel row'd five men,
As weel your ten,
The oysters are a gentle kin,
They winna tak unless you sing.
Come buy my oysters aff the bing,
To serve the sheriff and the king,
And the commons o' the land,
And the commons o' the sea;
Hey benedicete, and that's good Latin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Dec 11 - 01:49 PM

A later book called "Songs from David Herd's Manuscripts" gives these translations:

Rade = rode
Cruket = crooked
Cock = turn up
Deil-drum* = melancholy
Moniefald = bowels
Jimp-deus = light dancing shoes
White breek = foot soldier
Steel-pike = lancer
Whalpet = gave birth
Skail'd = crossed against the current
Steek = shut, bar
Grape = feel about
Clekit = hatched
Averile = April
Tentlins and fentlins = hooks and eyes
Bing = heap

[* Is this where "doldrums" comes from?]

[Furthermore, it has this commentary:]

"Dreg songs" were the interminable delight of the harvest dinner-hour—especially among the Irishmen, who took a share in harvest operations before machinery took away the social jollity from the workers. I have heard an old man recite one of these long-blown medleys for three-quarters of an hour without a break. The more mixed the metaphor the more delight it gave. Any sing-song tune serves for the recital, if the cadences can be worked in. The "Dredging Song" of the fishermen is of a similar class, but it is called by a different name. I have heard two men in different fishing villages give practically the same song word for word. It is more of the nature of a sailor's "chantie."—(Hay.)

Of the present "strange jumble of nonsense" the only lines of any interest are lines 57 and 58, because they are in some way or other connected with Elspeth Mucklebackit's rhyme:—

"The herring loves the merry moonlight,
   The mackerel loves the wind;
But the oyster loves the dredging-sang,
   For they come of a gentle kind."

—The Antiquary (Border Ed. p. 519).

Another Dreg Song parodied by Burns in his Ken ye ought o' Captain Grose? with a little more sense in it is in Songs 2 II, 99. It begins:

"Keep ye weel frae Sir John Malcolm: Igo and ago,
If he's a wise man, I mistak him: Iram coram dago,
Keep ye weel frae Sandie Don: Igo and ago,
He's ten times dafter than Sir John: Iram coram dago" &c.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Dec 11 - 02:29 PM

I covered this stuff here:

http://www.campin.me.uk/Embro/Webrelease/Embro/07work/07work.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Dredgin' Song (Archie Fisher)
From: GUEST,999
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 08:18 PM

Elspeth's Ballad

    By Walter Scott (Sir)

    The herring loves the merry moon-light,
    The mackerel loves the wind,
    But the oyster loves the dredging sang,
    For they come of a gentle kind.

    Now haud your tongue, baith wife and carle,
    And listen great and sma',
    And I will sing of Glenallan's Earl
    That fought on the red Harlaw.

    The cronach's cried on Bennachie,
    And doun the Don and a',
    And hieland and lawland may mournfu' be
    For the sair field of Harlaw.

    They saddled a hundred milk-white steeds,
    They hae bridled a hundred black,
    With a chafron of steel on each horse's head,
    And a good knight upon his back.

    They hadna ridden a mile, a mile,
    A mile, but barely ten,
    When Donald came branking down the brae
    Wi' twenty thousand men.

    Their tartans they were waving wide,
    Their glaives were glancing clear,
    The pibrochs rung frae side to side,
    Would deafen ye to hear.

    The great Earl in his stirrups stood,
    That Highland host to see:
    "Now here a knight that's stout and good
    May prove a jeopardie:

    "What would'st thou do, my squire so gay,
    That rides beside my reyne,
    Were ye Glenallan's Earl the day,
    And I were Ronald Cheyne?

    "To turn the rein were sin and shame,
    To fight were wond'rous peril,
    What would ye do now, Roland Cheyne,
    Were ye Glenallan's Earl?"

    "Were I Glenallan's Earl this tide,
    And ye were Roland Cheyne,
    The spear should be in my horse's side,
    And the bridle upon his mane.

    "If they hae twenty thousand blades,
    And we twice ten times ten,
    Yet they hae but their tartan plaids,
    And we are mail-clad men.

    "My horse shall ride through ranks sae rude,
    As through the moorland fern,
    Then ne'er let the gentle Norman blude
    Grow cauld for Highland kerne."

    He turn'd him right and round again,
    Said, Scorn na at my mither;
    Light loves I may get mony a ane,
    But minni ne'er anither.


From

http://www.public-domain-poetry.com/walter-scott/elspeths-ballad-7062

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Sep 12 - 07:26 AM

Seems to me we have a long way to go on this one. For the first verse, Archie uses the first verse of Walter Scott's "Elspeth's Ballad." Then he launches into something like "Dreg Song," but I can't make out much from the recording.
It's on Spotify - anybody want to make a stab at transcribing this?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: maeve
Date: 22 Sep 12 - 07:45 AM

I'll work on it and will double check my transcription with Archie, Joe...It won't be today, but maybe by tomorrow I can begin.

Maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: maeve
Date: 23 Sep 12 - 02:41 PM

I've made a transcription drawing my close listening and various posts in this thread- thank you all for your research and efforts. When I receive a reply form Archie Fisher confirming/correcting that transcription I'll post the corrected version here.

Maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Sep 12 - 10:13 PM

My breath is bated, Maeve.

It will be good to get this one settled. I have a feeling I may have this one on a CD booklet somewhere, but I've ripped all my CDs and put them in deep, dark storage.

Note to all of you who record CDs in this modern age: please post your notes and lyrics online. They don't come with the MP3 recordings.

-Joe-

Subject: LYR ADD: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: maeve
Date: 24 Sep 12 - 06:30 AM

Here 'tis. Thanks to Archie Fisher for his quick and helpful reply:


Dreg Song as sung by Archie Fisher

DREG SONG

The herring loves the moonlight
The mackerel loves the wind
But the oyster loves the dredging-sang
For they come from a gentler kin
Jeery ory alley
Weel row'd five men
As weel as your ten
The oysters are a gentle thing
They would nae tak unless you sing
Come buy my oysters aff the bing
To serve the sheriff and the king
And the commons o' the land
And the commons' o' the sea
Hey how Harry-O
Many a boat skail'd the ferry
Many a bonny fishing boat
Tell me a true note
True note true sang
I've dreg'ed ower lang      
Ower lang ower late
Quo' the haddock tae the skate
Quo' the skate tae the eel
Cock nae I my tail weel
Pull weel tae the shore
Hey Harry rest your oar
Jeery ory alie
Weel row'd five men
As weel as your ten
The oysters are a gentle thing
They would nae tak unless you sing
Come buy my oysters aff the bing
To serve the sheriff and the king
And the commons o' the land
And the commons' o' the sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Sep 12 - 05:08 AM

Bingo! Thank you very much, Maeve. The song moved very fast on the recording. I got bits of it, but kept getting lost. Your transcription helps a lot.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dreg Song (from Archie Fisher)
From: maeve
Date: 05 Oct 12 - 12:50 AM

I just tied all the pieces together and verified our various listening and research results. Glad to help, Joe.