Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 13 Feb 19 - 05:25 PM

Have re-discovered my "source" of that set of lyrics above: it is on www.rampantscotland.com tho' no further info re lyricist etc.
It also says "Originally a drinking song, this is the archetypal "farewell" song, played by pipers on the quayside when many a ship has left port. There are a number of variations of the words - though most people only know the chorus."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 07:38 PM

Thanks Guest, I look forward to that. Geordie Murison is a friend of mine also, having met at many festivals.
Sorry to hear that you are needing morphine for your condition.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 02:45 PM

T.B.---the chorus you give and the first two verses {with the exception of the last line in verse two} are as I remember from the 1946 sheet music.
When I get rid of the Morphine medication being taken, hopefully by the spring, and am able to do the one hours drive home I will give the new song published at that time.

As regards the old traditional song I have it all in memory with the exception of the second last line of the last verse. If all else fails I will contact Geordie Murison to get this line he halving many years back received the song from me as an example of a lowland bothy ballad.

As this one or indeed the 1946 one does not appear in the DT I shall open a new lyric add thread for them soon.













T.B

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 06:07 PM

Here is the Lanarkshire ("Carnwath Mill") version that I happened upon while looking for the more usual lyrics a few years back: can't remember now which website I got it from.
And yes, we always play the tune as a final item, after Auld Lang Syne, in one of the ceiidh bands I'm in.

We're No' Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
(Lanarkshire variation)

Chorus:
For we're no' awa' tae bide awa',
   For we're no' awa tae le'e ye,
For we're no' awa' tae bide awa',
   We'll aye come back an' see ye.

As I gaed doon by Wilsontoon
   I met auld Johnnie Scobie,
Says I to him will ye hae a hauf,
   Says he, "Man! That's my hobby."
Chorus:

So we had a hauf an' anither hauf,
   And then we had anither,
When he got fou' he shouted
   "Hoo! It's Carnwath Mill for ever."
Chorus:

We wandered doon the street again
   We cleekit unco cheery,
When John got hame his wife cried shame,
   I see you're enjoyin' your hobby.
Chorus:

Of a' the friens that ere I kenned,
   There's nane like Johnnie Scobie,
His hert is leal, he's true as steel,
   An' a hauf is aye his hobby.
Chorus:

So whenever friendly friens may meet,
   Wherever Scots foregather,
We'll raise our gless, we'll shout
    Hurroo, It's Carnwath Mill for ever.
Chorus:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: nigelgatherer
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 05:51 PM

Mary McCabe - the fuller version of the Glasgow Uni version is given above. On this page there is reference to other version from Perthshire and Edinburgh, but I can't now remember those. I'll need to trawl through many old notebooks to see if I made a note of them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 02:53 PM

A promise I made on the related thread {see top} was to give the words to the old song "Carnwath Mill" which as far as I can tell have never appeared in any of the printed collections. It may not have appeared in print, but having time on my hands, I have in recent years been trawling through the lucky dip in The Kist Of Riches and you know five or six of the "floating" songs that I have collected and sing appear in that collection, some as fragments and some of length, from locations as far apart as Shetland and Fife so all is not lost perhaps I will find a match for this one.

I have the 1946 copy of the sheet music but not the 78rpm record that was sold with it. I will dig out the S.M. the next time I visit my summer residence and give the re-write as of that time and in the meantime dredge up from memory the old song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST,Mary McCabe
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 12:34 PM

There was a Glasgow University version that went:

As I was comin doon by Gilmorehill
Ah met wi a Clerk o the Senate
Sez he tae me: Ye've nae degree
Sez I: fine weel Ah ken it! But I'm no awa...etc...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Big Tim
Date: 13 Sep 03 - 06:53 AM

Distinctive, Aberdonian, recording by the Ian Campbell Folk Group on "Across the Hills" album.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Sep 03 - 04:46 AM

If that's the song I know as 'Mormond Braes', your quite right Boab. There's even a hint at the words '.. as I gaed doon' and the opening line of the different versions. Also the 'Fare ye weel, ye Mormond Braes' etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 13 Sep 03 - 02:28 AM

The melody employed in all the variants of this song seems very closely related to that of the Aberdeenshire "Strichen Toon".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST,Tinker
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 03:47 PM

For what it's worth, an Americanized version of the song was recorded by the Kingston Trio with a chorus of "oh, we'll stay awhile to bide awhile, we'll never want to leave ya/ oh, we'll stay awhile to bide awhile till we come back to see ya." Instead of Mr. Scobey, the drinking partner was "young Tommy Clancy" who is later mentioned in league with "all his hellish brothers." Clearly a reference to the Clancy Brothers.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa
From:
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 09:55 AM

Got an answer back from Nigel

Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 10:38:11 +0100
From: Nigel Gatherer <[e-mail]>
To: George Seto <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Songs and Ballads of Dundee
 
On 10 Sep, George Seto wrote:
 
> There's a message that refers to a book you've written:
> http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=62822
 
> It's asking about lyrics for a song which is supposed to be in your
> book "Songs and Ballads of Dundee" by Nigel Gatherer "As sung by
> Catherine Smith, Lochee". We're Nae Awa' Tae Bide Awa' is the title of
> the song.
 
> Any chance you'd supply the words?
 

...........................................
X:149
T:We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa
S:Catherine Smith, Dundee
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
DE|F3 A GFED|F2 D2 D2 FA|d3 e dcBA|B4 A3 A|
d3 e d2 F2|G2 B2 A3 A|B2 A2 d2 F2|E4 D2|]

 
1. As I was walking doon the Overgate [1],
I met wi' Johnnie Scobie
I says, "Man will ye hae a hauf?"
He says, "Man, that's ma hoabbie!"
 
Chorus:
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We're no' awa tae leave ye,
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We'll aye come back an' see ye.
 
2. Oh, we had a hauf, and anither hauf,
And then we had anither,
And she got drunk, and he got drunk,
An' we a' went hame thegither!
 
...........................................
Another version, from Glasgow University Students'`Song Book (Glasgow 1956) - a revised and enlarged version of the 1953 book).
 
We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa
 
1. Oh as I went by the Arlington,
I met wee Johnnie Scobie,
Says he tae me, 'Will ye ha'e a hauf,'
Says I, 'Man, that's ma hoabby.'
 
Chorus:
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We're no' awa tae leave ye,
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We'll aye come back an' see ye.
 
2. So then we had anither hauf,
Anither and anither,
He got drunk, and I got fu',
It's Gilmorehill forever.
 
3. As I cam' doon frae Gilmorehill,
I met eh Clerk o'`Senate,
Says he tae me, 'Ye've nae dgree,'
Says I, 'Richt weel Ah ken it.'
...........................................
 
--
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[e-mail]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/
 

Hope that helps....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Dita
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 06:38 AM

Glasgow version I've had since 60s/70s

As I was walkin' doon the Gallowgate,
I met wi' Johnnie Scobie,
Says he tae me, 'Could ye go a hauf?'
Says I 'Man, that's my hobby'

CHORUS:
For we're no' awa' taw bide awa',
For we're no' awa' tae leave ye,
We're no' awa' tae bide awa'
We'll aye come back and see ye.

So we had a hauf an' another hauf,
An' then we had anither.
An' afore we knew, there we two,
Were roarin' fu' thegither.

In the eighties there was a pub called "Johnnie Scobie's", very near Glasgow Cross, on London Road, under the railway arch.


The only other verse I've ever heard is this one, obviously another of Glasgow making, and not part of the older song.

As I was walkin' doon the auld Coogate,
I met wi' Wullie Dearie,
Says he tae me, 'You'll have had your Tea'
O' them Edinburgh folks are gie leary.

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Jim McLean
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 05:01 AM

The version sung in the West coast, Glasgow etc., was:

As I was walkin' doon the street,
I met wi' Johnny Scobie,
Says he tae me, 'Could ye go a hauf?'
Says I 'Man, that's my hobby'

CHORUS:
For we're no' awa' taw bide awa',
For we're no' awa' tae leave ye,
We're no' awa' tae bide awa'
We'll aye come back and see ye.

So he had a hauf an' I'd a hauf,
An' syne we had anither.
An' he got fu' an' I got fu'
An'we baith got fu' thegither.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 02:38 PM

The only additional information in Nigel Gatherer's book is the following comment:

"A very popular song in Dundee and in Scotland generally. It is not clear whether there were local variants in each town, or whether the 'Overgate' version is in fact the original."

The tune is quite a favourite with pipe bands, and the chorus often sung at the end of dances.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: curmudgeon
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 11:11 AM

A friend in college, forty years now past, sang it thus:

As I was walkin' doon the street, I met wi' Johnny Scobie,
He says "Come awa' lad, hae a dram." I said "Aye man, that's my hobbie."
Chorus as above.
We had a dram and anither dram, and then we had anither.
I got fu' and he got fu' and we wandered hame together.

I've never been really satisfied with the verses. Except for the first and the chorus, nothing else works. This song has a great chorus for group singing, but no depth of verse. let us hope that someone may have more and better additions.

George -- The Overgate is a wonderful bothy song. I got it ages ago from a Jeannie Robertson recording, but wouldn't perform it until I finally figured out all the words she was actually singing.

Mary -- I think the line you're thinking of may be from "A Wee Deoch an Doris" by Harry Lauder.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: mg
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 09:05 PM

isn't there a verse about wherever friendly folks do meet, wherever Scots do gather...

mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From:
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 05:26 PM

Here's a song in the DT about an Overgate

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From:
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 05:13 PM

I'll see if Nigel would give us an answer. He's often on Scots-L.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From:
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 05:11 PM

I found two mentions about the song at Yahoo messages.

Message 493
Message 481

Interesting though. Seems to refer Dundee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 05:08 PM

Hi, houghmagandie-
I'll bet you got your lyrics from here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dundee-history/message/492?source=1

It gives the exact same text you posted - no more, no less. You left out one little tidbit, though:

From "Songs and Ballads of Dundee" by Nigel Gatherer
As sung by Catherine Smith, Lochee

I don't have "Songs and Ballads of Dundee," but maybe somebody else does. It certainly is intriguing.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Req: We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'
From: GUEST,houghmagandie
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 04:46 PM

A Mudcat message from 1999 has only two verses of this song:

As I was walking doon the Overgate
I met with Johnie Scobie.
I says, 'Man, will ye hae a hauf?'
He says, 'Man, that's ma hoabbie!'

[Chorus]
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
For we're no' awa tae leave ye;
We're no' awa tae bide awa,
We'll aye come back an' see ye.


Oh, we had a hauf, and anither hauf,
And then we had anither,
And she got drunk, and he got drunk,
And we a'went hame thegither.

Does anybody know any more verses?