There's a Herrin' in the pan

Subject: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Drumshanty
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 09:51 AM

Does anyone know anything about this song? I learned it from a Gordeanna McCullough/Clutha CD and I'd like to know where it's from and if it's traditional or not. I've trawled the internet but there doesn't seem to be much about it online.

If you don't know it the first verse goes:

"There's a herrin' in the pan for you old man
There's a herrin' in the pan for you old man
The heid's for you and the tail's for me
But the middle's for the lodgin' man"

Ta muchly

Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 10:37 AM

It's traditional, and a version of I WISH THAT YOU WERE DEAD, GOODMAN in the DT. See also The Traditional Ballad Index: I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman.

~Masato

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Here's the Ballad Index entry.
-Joe Offer-

I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman

DESCRIPTION: "There's six eggs in the pan, goodman (x2), there's one for you and twa for me, And three for (our John Hielandman)." The woman complains, and concludes, "I wish ye were dead, wi' a stone at your head, and I'd run awa wi' John Hielandman"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1823 (Sharpe)
KEYWORDS: food love curse death
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland) Ireland
REFERENCES (2 citations):
SHenry H531, p. 506-507, "I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, EGGSMAN WISHDEAD
ALTERNATE TITLES:
There's a Herrin' in the Pan
Notes: Marge Steiner's notes in the Digital Tradition discuss possible bawdy connections of this song. Interestingly, though they are all extremely subtle, Gordeanna McCulloch has a text which seems to have cleaned them all up and converted them into a complaint against landlords. - RBW
File: HHH531

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Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 10:51 AM

Of some age, too, and probably still current. The version Gordeanna recorded was described at the time (1978) as "collected recently by Jim Mahon from his grandmother in Glasgow". Often known as O Gin You were Dead Gudeman; beside the set Matsuo mentions, taken from a Jean Redpath record, there are two others in the DT:

SIX EGGS IN THE POT - one verse from Chambers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland (1847), plus text from the Scots Musical Museum (1796); with notes. The tune is specified but not given.

Most of the examples listed in the Roud Folk Song Index, where it is number 5844, are from Scotland; though both P. W. Joyce and Sam Henry published sets found in Ireland.

Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Drumshanty
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 11:04 AM

Superb! Just what I wanted.

I am in a wee group is performing together for the first time this Sunday and this song is part of our set. We will have something to say about it now.

Thank you both.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THERE'S A HERRIN IN THE PAN
From: GUEST,Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 01:23 PM

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|]

Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:19 PM

There's also a recording of the same? song by Adam mcNaughtan on the CD "The Words I Used to Know" / CD1/2 " The Glasgow I Used to Know"

Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 02:57 PM

Gordeanna McCulloch's Sheath and Knife is available as a CD on the Fellside label. It's a terrific recording. I got my copy from CAMSCO. I think I heard her sing "Herrin" at Whitby last summer, but I can't be sure I recall correctly.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 12:57 PM

Cuir air do sgadan poit! :-}