Lyr Req: Twa Heids Are Better Than Yin

Subject: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 03:54 AM

I'd love to have the lyrics to this song, for my Scottish is far from being good enough to understand them on a tape.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Pene Azul
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:08 AM

The lyrics are on this page. It's rather short, perhaps incomplete (?)

Jeff

Subject: Lyr Add: TWA HEIDS
From: Pene Azul
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:08 AM

TWA HEIDS

Och weel dae I mind in the days o' lang syne,
When I wis a laddie sae wee,
If ever I'd gand tae dae onything wrang
Ma mither wid lecture tae me,
She'd say tae me, "Bairn stay awa' frae the wimmin,
Or ye'll rue it the day ye begin."
So I never thocht twice aboot tak'n advice
For twa heids are better than yin!

Translated:
Oh well do I remember in days long ago
When I was a little lad,
If I ever tried to do anything wrong,
My mother would lecture to me,
She'd say to me, "Child stay away from the women
Or you'll regret it the day you begin."
So I never thought twice about taking advice
For two heads are better than one!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:27 AM

Thanks, Pene, I must have overlooked that in my web searches. If it is longer, at least it is a very good start.

Wolfgang

Thanks

Subject: Lyr Add: TWA HEIDS ARE BETTER THAN YIN
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:21 PM

Here are twa more verses, as I heard them from Robin Hall and Jimmy McGregor. I'm spelling it with English spelling, except for a few words.

But me being young, all my wantin' was spun,
So the first thing that I look'd for was a wife.
And I found a wee tart wi' a wee warm heart
Tae sew on my buttons for life.
I called her my one and my wee cuttin' bun (?)
And I tickled her under the chin,
And she'd say to me, lad, will ye nae mair gad,
For Twa heids are better than yin.

Last Saturday night, mon, I got such a fright
That I nearly jumped oot o' my skin,
For as sure as I'm here, my wee wife, I declare,
She gae me a present o' twins!
Says I tae her, Jean, tell me what do ye mean?
It's a terrible thing that ye done!
But she cried it out loud, "Mon, ye ought tae be proud,
For twa heids are better than yin!"

--- Line breaks
added ---
---Jeff (PA)---

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:27 PM

wee cuttin' bun (?) = "wee currant bun"

small fruit cake

Term of endearment - from the country that brought you "hen"...

Cheers

Steven

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:30 PM

So that's what they were singing -- "wee currant bun." Thanks, Scabby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: GUEST,jim
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 05:35 PM

But me being young, all my wantin' was spun, (all I wanted was fun)

So the first thing that I look'd for was a wife. And I found a wee tart wi' a wee warm heart Tae sew on my buttons for life. I called her my one and my wee cuttin' bun (?) (I called her my hon' (short for honey)

I think (??) a friend of mine has at least another verse - I don't see him often but I will try to remember to ask him about it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From:
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 10:24 PM

I have the end of the second verse going:

And she'd say tae me, Pat,
Get your hand oot o' that
Or you'll rue it the day ye begin

Jack

Subject: Lyr Add: TWA HEIDS ARE BETTER THAN YIN
From: Wolfgang
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:57 AM

Thank you very much all for your effort and imput. Below I put in thepresent 'best version' from the collaboration to make it easier for the harvesters.

Wolfgang

TWA HEIDS ARE BETTER THAN YIN

Och weel dae I mind in the days o' lang syne,
When I wis a laddie sae wee,
If ever I'd gand tae dae onything wrang
Ma mither wid lecture tae me,
She'd say tae me, "Bairn stay awa' frae the wimmin,
Or ye'll rue it the day ye begin."
So I never thocht twice aboot tak'n advice
For twa heids are better than yin!

(transl. Verse 1: Oh well do I remember in days long ago
When I was a little lad,
If I ever tried to do anything wrong,
My mother would lecture to me,
She'd say to me, "Child stay away from the women
Or you'll regret it the day you begin."
So I never thought twice about taking advice
For two heads are better than one!)

But me being young, all my wantin' was spun, (all I wanted was fun)
So the first thing that I look'd for was a wife.
And I found a wee tart wi' a wee warm heart
Tae sew on my buttons for life.
I called her my one and my wee currant bun (term of endearment)
And I tickled her under the chin,
And she'd say to me, lad, will ye nae mair gad,
For Twa heids are better than yin.
(alternative: And she'd say tae me, Pat, Get your hand oot o' that
Or you'll rue it the day ye begin)

Last Saturday night, mon, I got such a fright
That I nearly jumped oot o' my skin,
For as sure as I'm here, my wee wife, I declare,
She gae me a present o' twins!
Says I tae her, Jean, tell me what do ye mean?
It's a terrible thing that ye done!
But she cried it out loud, "Mon, ye ought tae be proud,
For twa heids are better than yin!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 05:29 PM

Extra verse recently rediscovered, alledgedly heard while youth hostelling in the 60s. Looks good to me

Ma mither-in-law is a crabbit aul' craw,
She calls me a loafer and such,
And a visit fae her, every weekend or so,
Is a thing that I dinna like much,
To the boozer I'll go,
Wi some fella's I know,
And I'll drink till my eyes start tae blin'
But the sicht when I'm hame,
Pits me right aff ma gemme,
'Cos she's got twa heids instead o' her yin,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 05:47 PM

Wheniver a'd gan tae dae onythin' wrang.

Whenever I would go to do anything wrong.

I'll sing it for you when we meet in Nior9t, if you can stay awake long enough!
Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: Joybell
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 05:58 PM

The very last line is usually sung out of dialect to make it rhyme. Rather like a punch-line.
ie.
Antepenultimate line = "It's a terrible thing ye have done."
Last line            = "For two heads are better than one!"

That's how we have always sung it. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Twa heids are better than yin
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 06:29 PM

It's a terrible thing that ye've din
Fur twa heids are better than yin.

better sounded as two syllables   bet-ur
G