Origins: 'Burke & Hare' DT Version sources

Subject: Burke & Hare sources
From: Bo
Date: 12 Apr 98 - 05:50 PM

The lyrics to this are in the DT and there is a melody line for first vs & Chorus.

Can Anyone Suggest a recorded source for this and or a more complete arrangement. Has anyone issued this on CD???

BO

Subject: RE: Burke & Hare sources
From: Frank in the swamps
Date: 13 Apr 98 - 12:37 AM

Here is a link that has some great Scottish folktales and songs on RealAudio. It has a couple of Burke & Hare entries. The RealAudio clips are accompanied by text so you can simply read the stories if you wish. I posted the link recently but it seemed to have slipped by, mibbe a good time to "Resurrection" it.

Frank.

Subject: RE: Burke & Hare sources
From: bo
Date: 15 Apr 98 - 01:00 PM

But where is the link?

Subject: RE: Burke & Hare sources
From: Frank in the swamps
Date: 16 Apr 98 - 03:56 PM

Er, uh...well (blush), ahem...

Here it is, of course...

http://www.pearl.arts.ed.ac.uk/

Frank in the Ozone.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010302001833/http://www.pearl.arts.ed.ac.uk/

Subject: Origins: Burke and Hare
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 02:54 PM

Here are the Digital Tradition lyrics, but where did they come from?

BURKE AND HARE (DT Lyrics)

Tae help the folk in medical school, word is passed around
A body nae mair than ten days auld will bring in fourteen pound.
It's a terrible thing, but truth tae say ---in this age o' greed
A man's worth little when he's alive, but plenty when he's deid.

cho:
An' it's doon the close an' up the stair
A but-an'-ben wi' Burke and Hare
Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief
And Knox is the man that buys the beef.

So in the dark of mony a nicht, when a' guid folks are sleeping
By the dyke and in the kirkyard come twa shadows creeping.
An' mony a man that's cauld richt thru an' safely hid away
He never thocht it wisnae the last he'd see the licht o'day.

But no contentit wi' howkin' deid, a ploy that aye gets harder
They've started pickin' healthy folk, and then committin' murder.
An' a' arood the countryside creeps a fearsome pair---
Be ye man or wife or wean, ye're nae safe from Burke and Hare.

Men and women, auld and young, the sickly and the hale
Were murdered, packed up and sent off tae Knox's human sale.
That man o' skill wi' subjects warm was frequently supplied,
Nor did he question where or how the person brought had died.

But noo auld Reekie can sleep at last; these two will trade nae mair
It's the gallows tree for William Burke, and a pauper's grave for Hare.

@outlaw @Scottish
filename[ BURKHARE
TUNE FILE: BURKHARE
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

Popup Midi Player

Subject: Origins: Burke & Hare
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 22 - 03:07 AM

from http://www.pearl.arts.ed.ac.uk/Tocher/Vol-05/05-140/05-140fr.html - the School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh.

SA 1970/180/A3. Recorded from Angus Russell, Kilwinning, Ayrshire by Peter Cooke, August 1970.

BURKE AND HARE

To help the folk at medical school
Word is spread around.
A body nae mair than ten days' auld
Will bring in fourteen pund.
It's a terrible thing, but true to say
In this age o' grace
A man's worth muckle when alive
But plenty when he's deid.

Refrain
An it's doon the close an up the stair
A but and ben with Burke an Hare.
Burke's the butcher an Hare's the thief
And Knox is the man that buys the beef.

An in the dark o' mony a nicht
When a' guid folk are sleepin',
By the dyke an in the kirkyaird
Come two shadows creepin'.
An many a man that's cauld richt throu '
An safely laid away,
He never thocht it wasnae the last
He'd seen the licht o' day

Refrain

But no content wi howkin deid -
A ploy that aye gets harder -
They started pickin healthy folk
And then committin murder.
And in the dark to the countryside
Creeps a fearsome pair:
Be ye man or wife or wean
Ye're no safe frae Burke an Hare.

Refrain

But noo Auld Reekie can sleep at last
These twa will trade nae mair:
It's the gallows-tree for William Burke
And a pauper's grave for Hare

Refrain


But is there an earlier source? I see it's in a book titled Come Gie's a Sang. Anybody have that one?

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Burke & Hare' DT Version sources
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 May 22 - 05:41 PM

I have the book; both the words and the tune are slightly different from what's posted above. I'll type the words when I have time.

I learned a very different version, The Sack 'em up Boys" in a Scots Music Group song class: the only part that's the same is the chorus (near enough) but the rest of the words and the tune are totally different. We were told that the chorus was an old Edinburgh street song, and that possibly the words were supplied by Robin Hall and Jimmy MacGregor. I'll sing it for you in a Zoom session...

THE SACK ‘EM UP BOYS
Chorus
Up the close and doon the stair,
But and ben wi’ Burke and Hare,
Burke’s the butcher,
Hare’s the thief,
Knox the boy who buys the beef.

Hurry doon the Castle Wynd,
Look before and look behind,
There they wait tae tak yer life
And sell ye fur the surgeon’s knife.....
C=Chorus

Auld or young or dark or fair,
It maks na mind tae Burke and Hare,
While Dr Knox peys oot the tin,
They’ll sack ‘em up and bring them in.....
Chorus

Reekie’s rows are dark and drear,
Reekie’s vennels reek wi’ fear,
Mind yersel gaun doon the stair,
Fur fear ye meet wi’ Burke and Hare.......
Chorus

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Burke & Hare' DT Version sources
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 May 22 - 01:09 PM

Here are the lyrics as given in the book which was edited by Sheila Douglas: and it also gives the singer as Angus Russell of Kilwinning! So maybe he sang it differently on different occasions? Quite a lot of differences. Note that it loses half a verse compared with the version above

BURKE AND HARE

For the help o' folk in Medical School
Word is pit aroon
That a body nae mair than ten days cold
Can fetch ye a guid ten pound.
Oh sad it is, but true to say
In our wicked warld o' greed
A man's worth nothing when alive
But plenty when he's deid.

chorus
They went up the close an doon the stair
A but and ben with Burke an Hare.
Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief
Knox is the man wha buys the beef.

so in the dark o' mony a nicht
When a' guid folk are sleepin',
Alang the dyke an through the kirkyaird
There cam twa shadows creepin'.
An mony a corpse that's stark and cauld
An safely laid away,
Ne'er thinking it wis no the last
It had seen the licht o' day.

Chorus

But no content wi howkin deid -
A ploy that aye gets harder -
They cast their een on living folk
An' start committin' murder.
But Reekie toon can sleep at last
The twa sall hunt nae mair:
It's the gallows-tree for William Burke
And a pauper's grave for Hare

Chorus