Subject: Lyr Add: THE HIRING FAIR From: weerover Date: 14 Feb 03 - 09:22 AM I found this in a splendid little volume of songs sung in Inishowen and remembered the thread: THE HIRING FAIR As I roved down through Antrim Town Through Antrim town I took my way Where all around the road was clad With lads and bonnie lasses gay Sure I espied one amongst them all How lonely she walked by herself For fear the rain would her gown stain I shared with her my umbrell' Says I, "My lass, how do you do? Or have you travelled far?" "For Antrim town, kind sir, I'm bound You know it is the hiring day" Says I, "My lass, will you accept A glass of brandy, ale or wine? We'll have a glass before we part And we'll be in about hiring time" She gave consent and in we went Unto an alehouse by the way Glass after glass did merrily pass Till she forgot her hiring day The clock struck three, she smiled at me She says, "Young man the fault is thine I'm here alone and I'm far from home And besides , I missed my hiring fair" "Oh never fret, my dearest dear I don't intend to harm you For marriage I intend to try For baker lads they all prove true" "Kind sir, to marry sure I am too young Besides my ma has none but me But I'll comply, I'll never deny I'll marry before hired I'll be" So we drank a round with mirth and fun And we got married the very next day And every now and then she would say "I'm glad I missed the hiring day" Note says the original song came from Scotland where it was called "My friends and I left sweet Milngavie" - Milngavie is a suburb of Glasgow and is pronounced Mill-guy (or to a Glaswegian Mull-guy) |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,dougboywonder Date: 12 Sep 01 - 02:41 PM I just found out that Fred Jordan became a farmer through being hired at a hiring fair. He undoubtably has a song about it. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,Boab Date: 12 Sep 01 - 02:13 AM Has Brian McNeil's "Lads o' the Fair" [the "Trystin' Fair at Falkirk"] been mentioned? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 11 Sep 01 - 08:24 AM IanC, Good on you. "Its to the brose they said nae grace the time was unco precious", Ian, I would say that the pair of hirelings hadn`t an unco precious time with their masters. Two good songs. Thanks Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: Lyr Add: COME ALL YE JOLLY PLOUGHMAN LADS From: IanC Date: 11 Sep 01 - 04:32 AM I'm reviving this thread as I've got a couple of songs for my old friend Ard Mhacha. I was in Dumfries last week, and I bought, in a secondhand bookshop, a copy of: KERR CAMERON, DAVID "The Ballad and The Plough: A Folk History of The Scottish Farmtouns" (London, Gollancz, 1987). Here's two untitled bothy ballads from the book. "There was one man in particular to avoid in Turriff's Porter Fair." (pp 88-90)
I pray you, have a care, Beware o' going to Swaggers, For he'll be in Porter Fair
He'll be aye lauch-lauchin',
Wi' his fine horse and harness,
He'll tell ye o' some plooin' match
For the tackle's gained the prize afore
A pair o' blues that lead the van
A wee bit shaltie ca's the neeps,
But he'll aye be fret-frettin',
And Swaggers in the harvest time,
Sae he'll gang on some twenty miles,
He'll say unto the foreman chiel,
"For I pay ye a'guid wages,
He'll say unto the girlies,
But noo the cuttin's ended,
And noo the sheaves they are all in,
Whe we maun hunt the brock, my boys,
And when that we gang up the raips,
Now the harvest's ended,
They now must pad the road, my boys,
But Martinmas it has worn on,
For he is the worst master "Yet another ballad, from the same area, gives a reminder of the farmer's approach to a youngster [at his] first feeing fair." (pp 91-91).
When flowers had clad the landscape gay, To Ellon fair I bent my way With hopes to find amusement.
A scrankie chiel to me cam' near,
"I'll need you as an orra loon;
"Five shillings more will be your due,
An' to a tent he then set sail,
Said he, "A sixpence noo, my loon,
When I went hame to my new place,
Although our usage was but scant,
An' when the hairst it did come roun',
Cheers!
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 17 Aug 01 - 01:22 PM To all of you good people my grateful thanks, when I posted this thread I never imagined the amount of information I would receive. Annraoi you dirty muckle brute, wading through the cowpats on a respectable site. Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Matthew Edwards Date: 16 Aug 01 - 07:00 PM Nice to have this thread refreshed. I'd agree with Wolgang that the Topic CD Come all my lads that follow the plough TSCD655 is a great resource. There is another in the same series There is a man upon the farm TSCD670 which has some relevant songs (besides having a great selection of songs in the first place): Seán Mac Donnchaadha An Spailpín Fánach Jamesy McCarthy Come To The Hiring Another recording well worth listening to is from the School of Scottish Studies Bothy Ballads issued on Greentrax CDTRAX 9001, with a well researched booklet written by Hamis Henderson. With regard to the list posted by GUEST above,apparently from Folktracks; this is a very valuable resource. Peter Kennedy who operates Folktracks collected a great number of songs in Great Britain and Ireland in the 1950's, many of which appeared on the seminal Caedmon/Folk Songs of Britain LPs in the 1960's. Peter and the team who worked with him deserve our undying respect for their efforts. BUT, and it is with some distress that I add this; a number of people whose opinions I trust have expressed concern that Peter Kennedy has failed to acknowledge the singers and collectors who gave their material to him. Tapes have apparently been issued without the consent of those who sang or played,or collected, and I understand that no royalties have been paid in some cases. Personally I do not know all the in and outs of this issue, but I am not willing to support Folktracks until I have a clearer explanation. I hope that this is a fair account; I would be happy if the Folktracks archive could be made available on terms which are fair to those singers, players, and collectors who created it, |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE HIRING FAIRS OF ULSTER (O'Lochlainn) From: Big Tim Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:42 PM Ard, you're a card! How about this one from our old friend O'Lochlainn, THE HIRING FAIRS OF ULSTER, first verse,
The ploughboy with a steady hand, OK another verse,
The servants' wages now should rise, |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 16 Aug 01 - 01:07 PM Hello Guest Folktrax, Any more on that Marlin Fair song. Slan ARD Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,folktrax.org Date: 16 Aug 01 - 06:58 AM HIREMAN CHIEL, THE - "There was a knight and a baron bright" - his son, after being well schooled and trained at the plough, goes off to be hired and what follows is a complex story of entangled lovers – ROUD#5624 - BUCHAN ABSNS 1875 2 p104-12 "The Baron turned Ploughman" - GREIG-DUNCAN 5 1995 #1055 pp518-532 13var 58v/7m – ORD BS&B pp480-6 HIRING see also FAIRS (also called "Mops" and "Statutes") - BARGAIN WITH ME/ MAGHERAFELT/ TAM BOY) – BARNYARDS O DELGATY - BOGIE'S BONNY BELLE - COME TO THE HIRING – COPSHAWHOLME - COUNTRY STATUTES – CRANBALLY FARMER - DAVIE HUNTER FEEIN' TIME – JOCKEY BRUCE O THE FORNET - MAINS O FOGGIELOAN - MARLIN FAIR - MUCKLE FRIDAY FAIR – NICKY TAMS – ROCKS O BAWN – TARVES RANT -- BBC LP 37157 Hiring Fairs at turn of century: interviews & music (not ABR) - FREE REED FRR-001 Seamus ENNIS Story - FRR- 003 Eddie BUTCHER Derry - FOLKTRAX FTX-019 Dicky LASHBROOK "Bargain with me"/ FTX-059 Talk about hiring: Jimmy Mc BEATH/ FTX-066 John STRACHAN Aberdeensh/ FTX-134 Bertha BROWN "Magherafelt Hiring Fair Song"/ FTX-175 John CORRY/ FTX-183 Duncan Mc PHEE Song: "Tam Buie" HIRING DAY, THE - to tune of "The Spanish Lady"-- Michael GALLAGHER rec by Peter Kennedy, Belleek, Co Fermanagh 7/7/52 HIRING FAIR, THE - "From Omagh Town unto Strabane" - Servant goes into alehouse to meet a girl and marry her - tune: As I walked through Dublin City or THE SPANISH LADY - ROUD#2905 - DUNCAN W357/ M1239 "The Feeing Times" - MORTON FSU 1970 #24 pp38-40 Biddy Maguire, Follom, Co Fermanagh - MORTON CDGD 1973 p34 "Strabane Hiring Fair" - TOCHER 30 (1979) p403 "Aberfeldy Fair" rec by Hamish Henderson from Donald MacMartin, Coldingham Berwicksh -- Michael GALLAGHER rec by Peter Kennedy, Belleek, Co Fermanagh 20/7/52: 7"RTR-0554/ FOLKTRAX 163 - Biddy MAGUIRE rec by Robin Morton, Co Fermanagh: MERCIER IRL-12 1970 - Eddie BUTCHER, rec by Robin Morton, Magilligan, Co Derry: FREE REED FRR-003 1976 "I once was a daysman" HIRING FAIR AT HAMILTONSBAWN, THE - "Come all ye lads and lassies and listen unto me" - "man called Tom McCann" - ROUD#2890 - MORTON FSSU 1970 pp36-38 Bob Wallace, Ballylisk, Co Armagh HIRING FAIR AT KELSO - see VICTORIA WALTZ |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,Annraoi Date: 15 Aug 01 - 07:23 PM a Bhriain, Since there is no mention of any hiring practices in "an Spealadóir" might it not be possible that what is being hinted at is the Reaper's legendary sexual prowess? It takes but little imagination to read btween the lines. I offer this as a very possible alternative to "hiring" Also, the same prowess in Cupid's arena was frequently believed to belong to the Ploughman - again for very obvious reasons. Annraoi P.S. There is an Irish idiom "ag déanamh fómhair" = making love. Literally "making the harvest." The connection seems an obvious one to me. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 15 Aug 01 - 02:40 PM Thanks Wolfgang, Some good songs in that lot,I have various groups singing them, Clancy Brothers, and Steeleye Span. Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Wolfgang Date: 15 Aug 01 - 12:04 PM A late contribution, but I only listened to the CD last week for the first time: The CD 'Come all my lads that follow the plough' from TOPICs 20 volume series 'Voice of the people' has many hiring fair songs complete with lyrics:
Barnyards of Delgarty Most of them have been mentioned above, but it is the best collection of this type of songs one a single CD I know. Wolfgang |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Brían Date: 16 Jul 01 - 10:00 PM Those recordings have been made into an RTE CD. Sean Ó heochaidh collected the last verse from Róise later. I picked them up at a C.C.E. concert. There's a little book with additional lyrics and the whole story in it. Even at her advanced age her singing was mesmerising. I would love to get the book on her life, which I had in my hand at a gaeltacht week, but someone had all ready bought it. Slán go fóill, Brían. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Matthew Edwards Date: 16 Jul 01 - 07:06 PM Brian that's a lovely song. Where did you get the last verse? My copy of Roise na nAmhran only gives three verses. Anyway thanks for reminding us of her. I don't know if this has been told before on the Forum, but even if it has the story will bear a little repetition.These were recordings of a great Donegal singer made in 1953 but at some point some nameless official thought the bulky tapes took up too much room and threw them on a dump. Proinsias o Conluain found them there, somewhat the worse for wear, and it is thanks to him that these priceless recordings of Gaelic singing are still available. |
Subject: Lyr Add: AN SPEALADÓIR translation From: Brían Date: 12 Jul 01 - 10:11 PM Here's the translation of AN SPEALADÓIR: I am a happy little mower over from Greece I keep my scythe along with me ready for the hay When I lay it on the ground the men's women take it from me In hopes that I'll be home with you at haymaking time. My own people are over in County Sligo My Mammy and daddy and all my friends. They have plenty of yellow gold, and do not like brass And I will marry the mower, 'tis he would cut the hay. At the bottom of the townland there is a long, level field Without a shrub, without a bush, without a shelter and it faces the hardship of life. There is a little bit to cut from it, and it nearly put me under the sod In hopes that I'll be home with you at haymaking time. Girls and boys, isn't my story a pity I am going over the ocean, without a hope 'til I die Say a little prayer each night when you go to bed That I will be home with you at haymaking time. Brían. |
Subject: Lyr Add: AUL' JOCKEY BRUCE O' THE FORNET From: Matthew Edwards Date: 12 Jul 01 - 08:29 PM Here's a song I mentioned earlier: Aul' Jockey Bruce o' the Fornet At Martinmas time when I gaed to the fair, To view the young lassies and to get the fresh air, And I fee'd wi' a mannie to work a third pair, It was aul' Jockey Bruce o' the Fornet. On a Sunday mornin' he taunted an' teased, Cam oot o' the stable wi' a flagon o' grease, Rubbed the horse weel doon frae the queets to the knees For they're a' cripple nags at the Fornet. The sun it cam oot,it had melted the grease, An' oot frae the hive cam a hale swairm o' bees, But I says to mysel':It's a plague o' the fleas, Cam doon wi' the lads o' the Fornet. Noo oor foreman chiel he cam frae Balquhain, He eenst was a navvie,and wrocht on the line, He feeds his horse weel but he hangs in the twine, For the wark's aye ahind at the Fornet. Here's tae oor second,he's a strappin' young chiel, Tae dae his wark,it sets him right weel, He wisna lang hame,he thocht he would heel, An' he never looked back tae the Fornet. A loon he was fee'd tae advance an' retire, Atween the neep-park an' the aul' coo-byre, But he wisna lang hame,he seemed soon to tire O' aul' Jockey Bruce o' the Fornet. Here's to oor third, a rantin' tae reel, A bit of a poem an' a half of a fule, An' the lassies a' roond,they like him sae weel, If he'll sing: Win Awa Wi' The Fornet. We aye hae a baillie, he cam frae Kinnaird, A wee little mannie, some scairt o' a beard, For courtin' the lassies, he'd ain be prepared, Than for sortin' his stots at the Fornet. We hae a bit dochter, the flooer o' the glen, She plays the pianna, an' whiles wi' the men, An' rins in the close, to get keppit again, Wi' the plooman lads in the Fornet. At the kirk on a Sunday, she wears a lang veil, A yaird o' her dress ahind her did trail, Her hair is tied up like my horse's tail, For tae charm a' the lads o' the Fornet. O the hairst being back,an' the weather awfu' bad, He turns us a' oot tae the pick an' the spad, He tore off his jacket, the aul' man he gaed mad, An' he danced an' he raved at the Fornet. Sung by Davie Stewart in Dundee in 1956, and recorded by Peter Kennedy. Issued on Saydisc cassette CSDL407 Songs of the Travelling People It is a slightly inconsequential song, but very attractively sung by Davie Stewart. It is typical of many workplace songs in describing the characters of each of the hired hands. Creating such a song, and singing it afterwards, would surely have been great fun in the bothies, at the end of a very hard day's labour. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Susanne (skw) Date: 09 Jul 01 - 08:23 PM 'Seton's Lassie' was written by the late Davy Steele. |
Subject: Lyr Add: AN SPEALADÓIR From: Brían Date: 08 Jul 01 - 07:49 AM AN SPEALADÓIR Is spealadóir beag sásta mé anall as an Ghréig Bíonn mo speal crochta liom is faobhar uirthi chun féir; Nuair a ligim ar an talamh í, tógann mná na bhfearaibh í Mar i ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile agaibh am bhaint an fhéir Thiar i gContdae Shligigh atá mo muintir fhéin, Mo mhamaí is mo dheadí is mo chairde uilig go léir Tá óir buí go pras acu is níl dúil ar bith sa spras acu Is pósfaidh mise an spealadóir, is é bhainfeadh an féar. In iochtar an bhaile seo, tá an pháirc fhada réidh Gan tor gan tom gan foscadh ach a haghaidh ar anró an tsaoil Tá giota beag le bearradh di is ní mó ná chuir sí i dtalamh mé Mar i ndúil go mbeinn sa bhaile agaibh in am bhaint an fhéir a Chailíní is a bhuachaillí nach trua libh mo scéal? Tá mise a gabháilna farraige is gan dúil liom go héag Abraigí sibhse an paidrín gach oích ag dul chun na leapa daoibh Le mise bheith sa bhaile agaibh in am bhaint an fhéir From the singing of Róise Bean Mhic Ghrianna(Róise na nAmhrán) SONGS OF A DONEGAL WOMAN.The tune is "THE CUCKOO'S NEST". Altan does a fine version of this on their 1st album. No hiring fair is mentioned, but it is certainly implied in the song. Beidh mé ag caint leat aríst, Brían. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,IanC at British Library Date: 07 Jul 01 - 07:45 AM Ard Cheers! Ian |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 07 Jul 01 - 07:17 AM Conan, Sorry, you are right Conan, and a good man for all that. Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Nerd Date: 07 Jul 01 - 05:48 AM A couple more: The salt, an Irish song based at the Ballynaskreen Horse Fair about a fellow who hires with a farmer who turns out to be insane, and Seton's Lassie, a Bothy Ballad about a lad who grows up to marry the farmer's daughter. There's a very sad description of his first night as a "slave." But he bounces back fast. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,Conán Date: 06 Jul 01 - 09:58 PM Bí cúramach, a Ard Mhacha Prof. Ó Catháin hails - not from Derry - but from West Tyrone - Drumqin, if I'm not mistaken. Conán |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 06 Jul 01 - 10:17 AM Ian C, No problem, leave it to next week, I wil send it on, Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 06 Jul 01 - 06:12 AM Matthew Edwards, The old lady you refer to was a Mrs Rose McCullagh from around Plumbridge in Co Tyrone. The programme she took part in was a thrre part series on The Hiring Fairs and was broadcast on RTE Radio about 15 years ago, the producer and the person who did the interviews was a Professor O Cathain from Derry. The programme also delved into Donegal writer Patrick McGills early life as a hired hand in Co Tyrone. I have the recordings if you are interested, get in touch Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Matthew Edwards Date: 05 Jul 01 - 07:57 PM Some additional songs which are, or have been, featured on generally available recordings: The Cranbally Farmer sung by Tom Lenihan The Mains O' Fogieloan sung by John MacDonald Aul Jockey Bruce o' the Fornet sung by Davie Stewart Come to the Hiring sung by Jamesy McCarthy I hope I will be forgiven if I don't post any lyrics on this occasion, as it is getting late at night (here in the UK at any rate), and as I have a busy weekend ahead I may not be able to do so until early next week. Perhaps someone else will manage to add the texts by then. In the meantime I am surprised there has not been a bigger response from Australia: I seem to recall that the practice of seasonal hiring was widespread there. Regarding living memories of hiring fairs Colm Toibin describes how he was suprised to encounter recent tales (i.e. about 30-40 years old) of hiring fairs when he was researching his 1987 book Bad Blood .Initially he couldn't find anybody who was willing to talk of their experiences, as it seemed to be a topic of shame and embarrassment for those who had been hired labourers. Eventually he tracked down an elderly lady who was willing to recall being hired at Strabane Fair.Young girls and boys, usually from Catholic families, would hire out for six months to Protestant farmers from May to November.The work was hard, and she would be paid £5 or £6 at the end. She would count the days and the journey back "was like heaven", but as her family had no money she would have go and stand at the hiring cross again in the bitter cold of November."It was a cruel country." she recalled.
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 06:47 PM It's in the database as (would you believe) The Grey Mare, but with a different tune. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 04:58 PM I can't remember the name of the song it reminded me of, but it ended 'Who once came a-courting, who once came a-courting my father's grey mare' It also has some resemblence to the tune Martin Carthy used for 'Three Cripples from London'. And my machine crashed when I tried to send this message, so I had to type it all again. :-( |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: MMario Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:44 PM thanks! - I would have been back sooner to tell you I had found it - but my computer crashed. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:11 PM Oh all right, here's a link Richard of Taunton Dean" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: MMario Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:04 PM grazie - that should be enough for me to track down. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 03:01 PM MMario, The Beautiful Muff goes to the tune of Dumble Dum Deary, otherwise known as Richard of Taunton Dean. It is here somewhere as a MIDI, but I have to be quick so I can't give you a link yet. It sounds very familiar, but I can't remember what song I have heard it used for. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 05 Jul 01 - 02:52 PM I know the answer, MMario, but I'll let Pavane tell you. I too largely gave up on the search facility at the Bodleian a year or so back, as it depends on keywords which are not always consistent or fully descriptive. Like Nutty, I find the browse facility a lot quicker in most cases. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 05 Jul 01 - 02:27 PM When I put this request in for Hiring Fair Songs I never envisaged the amount of assistance I would have received, to all of you thanks and in the language of the gael Slan agus Beannacht [Health and Blessings], great stuff . Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: MMario Date: 05 Jul 01 - 02:12 PM pavane - you going to share the tune for beautiful muff? Hmmm? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: nutty Date: 05 Jul 01 - 01:29 PM I use the browse index which is a lot simpler than the search but just as effective. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 11:20 AM Thanks for the hint, IanC, I will try it now! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 11:19 AM I only found this library recently, from another posting on Mudcat, and I have already found the following: What appears to be the (long lost?) song Beaux of London City, could be linked to the Adderbury Morris dance of the same name (The words fit the tune) Song Jockey to the Fair, which fits the Morris Dance music (short version) Song 'Mr Walker the twopenny postman', which seems to be related to tune 'walk of the twopenny postman' also linked to Morris? A song called Abraham Brown the Sailor, which seems to be an early version of Barnacle Bill The Beautiful Muff - bawdy song, complete with name of tune, which I have also tracked down The Infallible Doctor, with words similar to those used by the (Quack) doctor in many mummers' plays I don't know how much of this has already been recorded, but it is certainly a fascinating site
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: IanC Date: 05 Jul 01 - 11:08 AM Pavane The Bodleian search seems to only deal wit 1 word at a time. Put your 2 words in 2 separate boxes and it works OK. Don't ask me why! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 05 Jul 01 - 11:04 AM I still haven't got the hang of the indexes at the Bodleian Ballad library though. If I put 'hiring fair' in the search box, and select index1 or 2, I get nothing at all, but if I just enter Hiring, I get several hits, many which include the phrase 'hiring fair'. Searching on index 3, subject, I get many more hits again. Similarly, New song gets no hits, but song gets lots which include the phrase 'new song'. Strange. Also you can have fun with alternative spellings, such as Monk's march and Moncks march (General Monck was his name). |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,Mac Tattie Date: 04 Jul 01 - 06:11 PM Hi John Nolan, I don't know, try asking Pete Shepheard on music@springthyme.co.uk Cheers. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: John Nolan Date: 04 Jul 01 - 04:27 PM Mac Tattie: Is the Fife Songs and Ballads book still available, and if so, from whom? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: GUEST,Mac Tattie Date: 04 Jul 01 - 02:40 PM The song Tattie Jock was written based on a true story. Pete Shepheard, editor of Fife songs and Ballads, has spent much time retracing much of the background to this and many other songs. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 04 Jul 01 - 01:45 PM Pavane, Many thanks, I`m in the garden of Eden, hope I don`t see oul Eve. Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: Aidan Crossey Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:54 AM This is a great resource ... thanks! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: pavane Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:42 AM Bodleian ballads library has lots of hiring fair songs - but not with tunes |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 04 Jul 01 - 11:22 AM John, Thanks its a cracker,no problem with the dialect, how do our US friends cope. Slan Ard Mhacha. |
Subject: Lyr Add: TATTIE JOCK From: John Nolan Date: 04 Jul 01 - 10:02 AM ard mhacha: A version of Tattie Jock is in the archives, but the one below has two or three more verses giving a (a) a broader glimpse of farm life and (b) a kinder portrait of the farmer vis-a-vis his hired workers, and thus a more savage view of systematic working class oppression through the court system in the 1800s.
TATTIE JOCK
Well, ye a' hae heard o' Tattle Jock,
Cho: Hye riddle die, roo rum dir doe,
There was ten pair upon that place,
Three months we served with Tattle Jock
We a' went intae the tattle shed,
Oh, the first he got was Willie Marr,
Next day some o' us were drivin' dung,
They sent for ten big polismen
Noo, the hinmaist lad was the wisest een,
When we were getting' oor sentence read
When Tattie Jock heard tell o' this,
A bag o gold he did produce,
An' when they mairched us up through Perth,
When we arrive in Botany Bay
As published in The Scottish Folksinger (1973) by Norman Buchan and Peter Hall
From the singing of Archie Webster of Strathkinness. The song is also included in Fife Songs and Ballads, edited by P. Shepherd. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hiring fair songs From: ard mhacha Date: 04 Jul 01 - 09:20 AM derrymacash, Its a hard oul road, but in my ten years in England I found after the first years hard labour, you spent the next nine avoiding it.I always said Woody Guthrie should have been canonised. St Woody of the Workers. Slan Ard MhACHA. |
Subject: Lyr Add: GOD MADE DRINK (O'Neill, Crossey) From: Aidan Crossey Date: 04 Jul 01 - 07:53 AM In fact ... A mate of mine - Lorcan O'Neill, as fine a guitar player as you're ever likely to meet - once wrote a song "God Made Drink ..." which I only ever learned the chorus of. When we met up I pressed him for more - all I ever got from him was the first few lines of the first verse. Eventually I got impatient and wrote a version msyelf - retaining Lorcan's first few lines of the first verse and his chorus but completing the first verse and adding two more ... here it is for what it's worth.
God Made Drink ...
And as the years rolled round
God rest me uncle Sean
Chorus Tune and lyrics Copyright Lorcan O'Neill (additional lyrics by Aidan Crossey) |
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Preview Automatic Linebreaks Make a link ("blue clicky") |