Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh

Subject: Bawbee oh
From: Megan L
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 07:33 AM

I recently heard a song i think it was called the birlin o the bawbee.

can anyone help

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 11:40 AM

THE BAWBEE BIRLIN'

Oh the time will come, so the old man said,
When the servant slumbers in his maister's bed,
If he's no' ower busy working overtime instead;
Oh for the birlin' o' the bawbee o't.

Chorus:

The bawbee o't, the bawbee o't,
The birlin' o' the bawbee o't;
It's no' for a penny or a shilling or a groat,
But oh for the birlin' o' the bawbee o't.

And the poor will ding when all the young men cry
That the gowd in the tike has ta'en a thin disguise;
There was nae guarantee that whit the master did was wise:
But oh for the birlin' o' the bawbee o't.

And the day will dawn when all the old men see
That the shape and form of ony apple tree
Has mair tae recommend itsel' afore the spirits flee;
And nae for the birlin' o' the bawbee o't.

The words are by Rod Paterson and Michael Marra (MCPS & PRS); the tune is Niel Gow's Farewell To Whisky.   Gordeanna McCulloch recorded this on her 1997 CD In Freenship's Name (Greentrax CDTRAX 123).

To birl a bawbee is to "turn a halfpenny".  Scots has a lot of alternate spellings, so the above is not necessarily what somebody else would come up with.  I'm unclear as to the sense of verse two, line two and verse three, line three; does anybody more familiar with the idiom have any suggestions?

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh
From: Megan L
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:22 PM

Thanks Malcolm just what I was looking for.

That the gowd in the tike has ta'en a thin disguise sounds like a strike at the new rich mothers would often be heard to say to unkempt weans "Yer a clairty tike(tyke)"

this would seem to follow from the first verse which talks of the servent in the maister's bed or trying to be what you were not born to.

Last verse has got me stuck will have to give it some thought.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 02:59 PM

Here's the original song to the tune.

This song is in 'The Little Warbler', I, p. 133, Oliver: Netherbow, 1804. The tune later appeared in Gow's 'Strathspey Reels', bk. 5 (1809). [Note: spelling given by the Gow's was Niel]

Gow's Farewell to Whisky

You've surely heard o' famous Neil,
The man that played the fiddle weel,
I wat he was a canty chiel',
And dearly lo'ed the whiskey, O!
And ay sin' he wore tartan trews,
He dearly lo'ed the Athole brose;
And wae was he you may suppose,
To play fareweel to whiskey, O.

Alake, quoth Neil, I'm frail and auld,
And find my bluid grows unco cauld,
I think 'twad mak me blythe and bauld,
A wee drap highland whiskey, O
Yet the doctors they do agree,
That whiskey's no the drink for me:
Saul, quoth, 'twill spoil my glee,
Should they part me and whiskey, O.

Tho' I can get baith wine and ale,
And find my head and fingers hale,
I'll be content, tho' legs should fail,
To play fareweel to whiskey, O.
But still I think on auld lang syne,
When Paradise our friends did tyne,
Because something ran in their mind
Forbid, like highland whiskey, O.

Come, a' ye powers of music, come!
I find my heart grows unco glum;
My fiddle-strings will no play bum
To say fareweel to whiskey, O.
Yet I'll tak my fiddle in my hand,
And screw the pegs up while they'll stand,
To mak a lamentation grand,
On gude auld highland whiskey, O.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh
From: Megan L
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 10:30 AM

Thanks Bruce it's always interesting to find origins .

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Bawbee oh
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 07:28 PM

My interpretation of the song is that it relates to the perils of materialism, 'chasing a buck'. The first verse as I interpret "If you spend your time chasing a buck you'll not have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labour". Not sure about the first half of the second verse, but the third could read "If you're wise you'll learn to sniff the flowers rather than chase a dollar all your life". Regards, John