Lyr Req: Pretty Peg (from The Bothy Band)

Subject: RE: Song name and lyrics wanted-Pretty Peg
From: greg stephens
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 12:19 PM

The Pretty Peggy is rather misleading here, as the better known Pretty Peggy refers to the family of songs which locate the eponymous lass in Derby o, Fyvie O, Fennario etc etc.

Subject: RE: Song name and lyrics wanted-Pretty Peg
From: Declan
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 01:33 PM

Having analysed the lyrics of this song I have found that:

(a) The practice of locking the young lady in her bedroom at night is a questionable one, and may constiute a fundimental breeach of her civil rights;
(b) This practice is also at odds with health and safety guidelines and could pose a serious risk in the event of a fire;
(c) The existence of chimney pots and creels may imply the use of open turf fires, which may well be in breach of EU directives in relation to carbon emissions;
(d) The use of open fires may well constitute a fire hazard thereby exacerbating the situation outlined at (b) above.

I therefore and hereby must declare this song as closed until a certificate of compliance (in triplicate) can be obtained from the folk police. On the other hand IT'S ONLY A SONG!

Subject: RE: Song name and lyrics wanted-Pretty Peg
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 03:27 PM

Nice one Declan, but I should also draw your attention to the Health and Safety Executive guidelines on Using Ladders Safely.

I'm surprised Bill D found as many as three versions in his collection of 24 recordings of 'The Keach in the Creel' featuring Pretty Peg/Peggy; the Roud Index has 69 records of the song, none of which mention Pretty Peg or Peggy. The girl in the song is variously named as Bonnie May. Bonnie Meg, Mysie, Pretty Polly, Young Molly, Maisie, Susie, a little Scotch girl and a most improbable Maid Marion. It is quite a tribute to Triona Ni Domhnaill that the "Pretty Peg" version is the most sought after one on the Mudcat. It may well come from her own very rich family tradition, or as Greg suggests, the Peg may just have strayed over from Derby-o or Fyvie-O.

I was very intrigued by Leenia's reaction to the song, since it seems to reflect that of the great ballad scholar F J Child himself. He found a passage in the song to be "brutal and shameless almost beyond example", but as he declined to identify the part which so scandalised him nobody knows quite which bit made him so grumpy. Is it the position adopted by the daughter to say her prayers when her father checks on her? Or is it the rough handling of the mother? I don't think though that there really is any suggestion that the mother is sexually assaulted, but even so your comments are genuinely illuminating.

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pretty Peg (from The Bothy Band)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 23 - 10:30 PM

Regarding the "wedding class" part of this thread - I haven't seen the following posted.. from the online video Triona sang "but the waiting clerk's followed after her, and he kissed her by and by"

Clerk is pronounced 'clark' sometimes. Clerk's = clerk has.

Lesl

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pretty Peg (from The Bothy Band)
From: Bruce from Bathurst
Date: 17 May 23 - 11:38 PM

Ian Lynch from the fascinating Dublin band, Lankum, has a podcast (monthly?) called Fire Draw Near.

The most recent edition is full of different versions of this song.