Lyr Add: Jock the Leg

Subject: Jock the Leg
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 05:19 PM

Different variation from that in the DT.

Jock the Leg and the Merry Merchent

Jock the Leg and the merry merchent
Went up to London town, O,
They pit their pack upon their back
And I wyte they were weel tied on, O

CHO:
Fol de rol de riddle doo
Fol de doodle I doh!

They traivelled up & they traivelled doon,
Till they came to London Inn, O,
Says Jock the Leg to the merry merchent
Nae farther will we gang, O.

When mass was sung & bells were rung,
And a' wis bound for bed, O,
Jock the Leg and the merry merchent
In ain bed they were laid, O.

They hadna been an hour in bed,
An hour but barely ain, O,
Says Jock the Leg to the merry merchent
We'll rise & gang again, O.

Never a fit says the merry merchent,
Till daylight I do see, O,
There's one, they call him Jock the Leg,
He vows he will rob me, O.

Ye'll gang in by Netherdale,
And in be Coventry, O,
And I will warrant Jock the Leg
That he winna trouble thee, O.

He gaed in by Netherdale,
And in be Coventry, O,
And woe be to him, Jock the Leg,
For fast fast followed he, O.

Your pack your pack upo' your back,
Your pack & every pin, O,
There's nae a neuk in a' your pack
But my hand shall he in, O.

Never a fit, says the merry merchent,
Will I lowse my pack to thee, O,
As lang's the sword hings by my side
I'll fecht until I dee, O.

They faucht it up and they it faucht doon
Wi' the swords o' the tempered steel, O,
They faucht it up and they faucht it doon,
Till the blood ran owre their heels, O.

He's putten his whistle to his mouth
And he's blown it loud & shrill, O,
As six o' his well-armed men
Came tripping down the hill, O.

Ye'll tak' sax o' your bravest men,
And yersel' the seventh to be, O,
Gin ye pit me ae fit frae my pack
Ye'll get it a' for me, O

They faucht it up and they faucht it doon,
Till daylight they did see, O,
Though they should hae faucht till that day month
One fit he wadna jee, O.

Ye'll tak' your pack upon your back
And ye'll traivel by land or sea, O,
At kirk or market where we meet,
Ye'll get nae ill frae me, O.

I'll tak' my pack upon my back
And I'll traivel by land & by sea, O,
And at kirk or market where we meet
I'll tak' nae ill frae thee, O.

This is slightly different from another version in the DT, and calls for the chorus given here, and uses a related but different tune.

From singing of Ewan McColl, in a seven-hour set of LPs with A.L. Lloyd, early 50s, entitled "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads"
DRO

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jock the Leg
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 05:23 PM

Note another difference between this and the version in the DT, posted in '97 by SFO, I think I remember. That version does not show a burden as this one does, but calls for the repetition of the last two lines of each verse, which this does not.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jock the Leg
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Sep 01 - 09:32 PM

That's the only difference between the two, bar a few variant spellings of no importance.  Is the tune different?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jock the Leg
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 22 Sep 01 - 05:02 PM

The tune is somewhat different from that played by the DT.

Also, the burden given here is not given in the DT, and the DT wants the last two lines repeated, which McColl's rendition did not.

Dave Oesterreich