Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)

Subject: Kilts Society Ball
From: E
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 11:44 PM

I would be very grateful if you could help me.

I have been looking for a song for many years and have had no luck. My grandfather used to sing it to my mother. He was from Scotland and my mother believes is was a Bothy Ballard or a Corn Kister.

All I have is the name of the song (I think it is) -"Kilts Society Ball" .

Some of the words go like this:

"There was hairy knees and bald knees and white and feeling cauld knees, a sight you've never seen at the Kilts Society Ball. They danced the highland, danced the fling, as folks fa far and wide, displaying all their faults at this the trousers hide."

Yes sounds very strange.

If you can't help me to find all the words, do you know anyone that could?

Thank you for your time. Elaine. :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilts Soceity Ball
From: Oi
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 05:33 AM

That's weird !! I am browsing the net and see this and go COOL !!! It turns out to be YOU !!! Funny stuff, and I will keep on trying. It looks like you are ahead of me though !!!

LY Cheers Gra

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilts Soceity Ball
From: WyoWoman
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 10:51 PM

Well, I for one am waiting to hear. Did you find what you were looking for? I'd love to hear the rest of the lyrics...

Good luck in your quest.

WyoWoman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilts Soceity Ball
From: GUEST,donmcknz
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 07:38 PM

The Kilt Society Ball was sung by Rab the Rhymer ( Dr Douglas Raitt - who was a marine biologist at Aberdeen Marine Laboratory in the 1930s and early 1940s.) It featured in a broadcast of The Reel Blend on BBC Radio Aberdeen by Robbie Shepherd in March or April 2009.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilts Soceity Ball
From: GUEST,999
Date: 06 Nov 11 - 07:45 PM

TITLE:        Kilt Society Ball
ARTIST: Rab The Rhymer
BBC Archive Recording
MD 195 – Trk 22

If anyone knows how to access the BBC Archive . . .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)
From: GUEST,MES
Date: 22 Dec 18 - 04:54 PM

I'm very very late, but I've transcribed it from a different recording, and it's checked by my mum:


Nae doot ye've a’ bin readin’ in the press the same as me

Aboot the kilt society o' Aiberdeen



Bit breen braes* has a similar organization tee

An' a’ the sichts and kilts that I hae seen

I loched till I wis sair the nicht I went

Til their tartan annual event



Fer there was aul' kilts an new kilts

o' ilka clan an' hue kilts

Reid, yella, green an' blue

At the kilt society ball



There was lads wi' furled, ower lang kilts

And squint an' haungin' wrang kilts

They a’ had nerve tae gang

Tae the kilt society ball



They danced the heilan’ dances and they cam frae far and wide

Displayin’ a’ the parts that ither times their troosers hide

There was cheap kilts and dear kilts and only reach to here kilts

I wish ye’d seen the steer

At the kilt society ball



Noo the Aiberdeen society’s bin haudin’ a debate

And in controversy they’re up tae the hilt

They’ve decided that tae join the ranks, the weemen winna get

For their shapes are wrang fer showin’ aff the kilt

But o’ the men themselves in heilan dress

I’ve seen een or twa a bonny mess



Fer there wis beefy lads and braw lads

And should ha bade awa’ lads

A sicht ye never saw

At the kilt society ball



There wis slim as ony deem lads

And broad aboot the beam lads

That made the lassies scream

At the kilt society ball



They danced the heilan’ dances and they cam frae far and wide

Displayin’ a’ the parts that ither times their troosers hide

There wis bold an’ tak a look lads

An shy an bide in nuik lads



There wis hairy knees and baald knees

An fightin’ feelin caald knees

Skinny knees and swald

At the kilt society ball



There was stracht legs and baud legs

An cudna stop a yow legs

An hittin’ one a fyow

At the kilt society ball



They danced the heilan’ dances and they cam frae far and wide

Displayin’ a’ the parts that ither times their troosers hide

There was seen ‘er growd and run wives

And ower near the grun wives



Ye shoulda seen the fun

At the kilt society ball!


*Presumably a place but not one I’ve heard of

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)
From: EBarnacle
Date: 24 Dec 18 - 12:29 AM

Wow! That's a long time between query and answer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)
From: GUEST,MES
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 12:56 AM

I was looking for the lyrics myself and found the thread! Even if it doesn't help OP hopefully it might help the next me.

Although I did manage to drop a line somewhere in the transfer, it should be:


There wis bold an’ tak a look lads

An shy an bide in nuik lads

A chiel could write a buik about the kilt society ball

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 21 - 11:56 AM

Dr. D. S. Raitt
R. Clark
Published 1945
History
Nature

THE tragic death of Douglas Raitt as the result of a motor accident on October 4, 1944, at the early age of forty-one, will be deeply regretted not only by marine biologists but also by the general public, for apart from his scientific attainments, he had wide cultural interests and was recognized as a successful broadcaster and as a composer of Scottish songs. In particular, fishery research has lost a most promising worker, who had a brilliant career before him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kilt Society Ball (from Rab The Rhymer)
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 02:01 PM

Some may leer and some may sneer, but I think the kilt is sexy.