Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Marje
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 01:30 PM

That's right, Jim, "broo" or "buroo" (which was also Northern Ireland usage) referred to the Unemployment Bureau (or was it the Employment Bureau?), aka Labour Exchange, and later Job Centre.

Marje

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 06:29 AM

Gallic influence in the land o' the leal Part 953
(1) broo = bureau = dole office
(2) Jacobites = pan-European Catholic aristocracy

Or are you sitting in your council house dreaming o' your clan?
Waiting for the Jacobites to come and free the land?
Try going down the broo with your claymore in your hand
And count all the princes in the queue.

"No gods and precious few heroes": Brian McNeill

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Jim McLean
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 06:03 AM

On the broo (various spellings) is short for 'bureau' where one signed on for dole money. My mother thought the word 'broo' very common!

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: MartinRyan
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 05:32 AM

"on the brew" also turns up, of course, in Crawford Howard's wonderful parody of No Man's Land:


Ah! Willy McBride, Why the hell did ye die?
The trouble ye'd 'a saved if ye cam back alive
And got a wee job - or signed on the brew..
We'd not have to listen to songs about you!

Regards

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: goatfell
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 04:32 AM

almost any Scottish mother knows this song, they use it as a lullaby.
I sing it at nursing/care homes and they all join in.

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 04:24 AM

It's 'Your Daddy's signing on the bro' - that is your father is on the dole (the Borough - local government.

Singing on the brew conjurs up a wonderful picture of innebriation.

Anne Croucher

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 07:23 PM

I've always heard this song sung as "greetin' for a wee baubee" too but some things don't 'translate' too easily - for example the line
"Yer daddys singin' on the brew"

I worked for a short time in Glasgow in the late 1960s and had a baptism of fire into the local dialect:)

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 07:15 PM

I've got recordings by Robin Hall, The Galliards, Ray Fisher, Hamish Imlach, Iain MacKintosh and The Ian Campbell Folk Group. The ICFG are the only ones substituting 'sugar candy' for 'Coulter's candy, and also doing away with most of the Scottish dialect. I suppose it had to do with them playing mainly in England but it seems to take something from the song.

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 02:34 PM

More or less how I heard that line, in Aberdeen many years ago; only, it was "greetan fur anither bawbee, Tae buy mair Coulter's candy".

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 06:50 AM

I first heard this song from Marian McKenzie of Kirkcaldy when she was a member of The Three City Four with Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey and Ralph Trainer. She did not, however, sing the line as " Waitin' for a wee penny" which sonjures up the most bizarre scenario, but "greetin' for a wee baubee".

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 06:14 AM

Unfortunately, I think, this song is now often sung with the last line of each verse (and chorus) mentioning not "Coulter's Candy" but, prosaically, just "sugar-candy". Is this a case of "the tradition changing" which we should regret, welcome, or remain studiously neutral about?

Subject: RE: Title Enquiry: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 10:11 PM

John

The word Coulter is more often than not pronounced "Cooter" and has I believe two meanings, the first and main is descriptive of the "leading edge of a plough share" and secondly it is sometimes used to refer to a back farm (one that is not situated on the south facing side of a hill/glen).

It's also my surname but I don't sell candy!

CC

Subject: RE: TITLE ENQUIRY: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: GUEST,John
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 06:14 PM

Thankyou all for your help.

Subject: RE: TITLE ENQUIRY: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 06:10 PM

The song you want is Coulters Candy which was based on the true story of Robert Coltart, a travelling candyman of Galashiels in the mid 19th century, who sang nonsensical verses as he sold his candy in the fairs and markets of the Scottish Borders.

Ewan McVicar has written at greater length about the song and its origins in his delightful book Doh Ray Me, When Ah Wis Wee.

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: TITLE ENQUIRY: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 05:58 PM

Coulter's Candy.

You can find two examples in the DT here: Coulters Candy and Coulter's Candy.

At the bottom of those song pages you'll find links to discussion threads on the song, where you can find more information (the music thread has info on the name source I think).

Mick

Subject: RE: TITLE ENQUIRY: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: Emma B
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 05:58 PM

Coulter's Candy

Subject: TITLE ENQUIRY: Coltus?/Cultos? Candy
From: GUEST,John
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 05:51 PM

Which is the correct title of this Scottish folk song;
COLTUS or CULTOS Candy.
Also, what is its history
Thanking you all