Lyr Add: Miller of Drone

Subject: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: robinia
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 05:46 AM

I have a very scratchy old tape of Cilla Fisher and Artie Trevize with "The Miller of Drone" on it -- a great bawdy song involving vlisits to this "sturdy loon " from both the lass and her mother (who comes skipping home marvelously rejuvenated; "gin she'd been jointed on a string, nae suppler could she be" ) but I can't make out all of the words.   Can anyone help? It starts out, "There was a miller lived in Drone, and he was fair . . . . .; with sturdy limbs and shoulders broad as ye may well suppose; the miller was a sturdy loon that ever hung a stone; . . . . . ."
I'm hoping that someone will come through here -- the song's worth sharing.








could and it's frustrating that I can't make out all the words. Can

Subject: Lyr Add: MILLER O' DRON (from Cilla Fisher)
From: MMario
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 08:25 AM

I found instrumentals out on the web under the title of 'Miller of' Drone, Draughin, Drohan, Dron

the only lyrics I found were at Henry's Songbook

url=http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/m/millerod.html

MILLER O' DRON
(Trad)

Well it's easy, queasy, saft and easy
Ay, the mill gae'd on
O' a' the millers e'er I saw
There's nane like him o' Dron

There was a miller lived in Dron
And he was fed on beef and brose
Wi' sturdy limbs and shoulders broad
As you may well suppose
The miller was a sturdy loon
That ever hung a stone
And he's ta'en his suit a' different ways
As the wives kent weel at Dron

Noo the lassie she gae'd tae the mill
Wi' corn upon her heid
Sayin', Miller, would your stones still work
For we are oot o' breid
He took this fair maid in his arms
And in motion put his stones
And clink and clank then went the mill
Wi' a' the grind o' Dron

Noo the lassie she comes skippin' hame
A' fu' o' joy an' glee
Gin she had jointed on springs
Nae suppler could she be
She threw the meal-pock aff her back
She cried, Mither, mak' a scone
O' a' the millers e'er I saw
There's nane like him o' Dron

Noo the auld wife when the corn was done
Gae'd tae the mill hersel'
And quickly tae the miller
She began her needs tae tell
He laid her doon upon her back
And in motion put his stones
An' there he grind the auld wife's batch
Wi' a' the grind o' Dron

Noo the auld wife she cam' skippin' hame
As canty as a bee
Sayin', Lassie, put the kettle on
For we must hae some tea
She threw the meal-pock aff her back
An' began tae dance an' croon
O' a' the millers e'er I saw
There's nane like him o' Dron

But when the auld man heard o' this
He set upon his wife
The daughter she did intercede
Tae save her mither's life
The auld man he did thump them baith
And he never mind their moan
And he made them promise faithfully
Nae mair tae gang tae Dron

But they did nae lang their promise keep
They wearied sair for John(?)
And when the auld man went fae hame
They baith gae'd doon tae Dron
An' there he tak's them ain by ain
An' he eased them o' their moan
An' ay, he grinds their multure free
Wi' a' the grind o' Dron

As sung by Cilla Fisher)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 08:52 AM

There are three traditional versions of the song in the Greig-Duncan Collection (volume 7) but this seems to be from some other source. The well-known strathspey Miller of Drone is usually attributed to Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), but there are dissenters from that view.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: robinia
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 12:47 PM

Thank you, Mario!   That's it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: robinia
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 01:46 PM

PS.   thanks to Malcoim too!   Greig-Duncan clears up that "wearied sair for John (?)" -- the word is "yon" -- and gives an even longer story.   I like his parting shot too; "And I'm sure he far surpassed him that langsyne lived at Dee."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: MMario
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 01:54 PM

d*mmit! someday I'm gonna have them books too!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: kendall
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 01:55 PM

If you've never seen Cilla sing this with her special kind of body language, you have missed something unforgettable!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: michaelr
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 02:39 PM

Anyone have the tune? I'd love to sing this.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Miller of Drone
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 03:23 PM

Sets of the strathspey are available at  JC's Tunefinder:

The Miller of Drone

I assume that the song uses a form of that tune, but I don't know how close it would be (I only got as far as vol. 2 of Greig-Duncan before I ran out of money).