Lyr Req: The Birkin Tree (from Old Blind Dogs)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Birkin Tree (from Old Blind Dogs)
From: GUEST,Freep
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 05:13 PM

This is my latest effort at nailing this song down.

Oh lass, gin' ye would think it right (gin--after or before a bit)
Tae gang wi' me this very night
We'll cuddle tae the mornin' light
By a' the lave unseen o' (lave--others)

And ye will be my dearie
My ain dearest dearie
It's ye will be my dearie
Gin ye meet me at e'en o' (e-en--evening)

I canna for ma mammy gae
She locks the door and hides the key
And in the mornin' charges me
And aye aboot the men o'

For she says they're a' deceivers
Deceivers, deceivers
She says they're a' deceivers
Ye canna trust in ane o' (ane--one)

Oh niver min' yer mammy's yell
Nae doot she met yer dad hersel'
And should she flyte, ye can her tell (flyte--scold)
She's aft times done the same o'

So lassie, gie's yer hand on't
Yer bonnie milk-white hand on't
Oh lassie, gie's yer hand on't
And scorn tae lie alane o' (alane--alone)

Oh lad, my haun' I canna gi'e
But aiblins I maun steal the key (aiblins--perhaps)
And meet ye at yon birkin tree (birkin--beech)
That grows doon in the glen o'

But dinna lippen, laddie (dinna lippen--don't count on it)
I canna promise, laddie
Oh dinna lippen, laddie
In case I canna win o'

So he's gaen tae yon birkin tree
In hopes his ain true love tae see
When fa come trippin' ower the lea (fa--short for fair?--directly)
But just his bonnie Jean o'

And she's plank-ed doon beside him (plank-ed--put down with a thump)
Beside him, beside him
She's plank-ed doon beside him
Amangst the grass sae green o'

"I'm overjoyed wi' rapture noo"
Quo' he, and preed his cherry moo' (preed--unknown, moo--mouth)
And Jeannie ne'er had cause tae rue
That nicht upon the green o'

For she has got her Johnny
Her ain lovin' Johnny
It's she has got her Johnny
And Johnny's got his Jean o'

Definitions from Dictionary of the Scotish Language.
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Birkin Tree (from Old Blind Dogs)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 04:57 PM

clinkit is mis-heard from plank-ed or plankit,
"To set down, deposit, place, gen. with a thump or in a decisive emphatic manner, to “plant”."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Birkin Tree (from Old Blind Dogs)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 09:32 PM

"dinna lippen" = "don't rely (on it)"
"clinkit" (or "clinked": see broadside links above) would mean "quickly sat" in this context.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Birkin Tree (from Old Blind Dogs)
From:
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 07:24 PM

Thanks for a good rendering of the Old Blind Dogs version, Doug. I was just struggling with a transcription/translation of it this afternoon and was happy to see most of my hearings confirmed in your post.

What I'm still hung up on are the two couplet/refrains in the 4th and 5th verses

[But dinna lippen, laddie, I canna promise, laddie
Oh dinna lippen, laddie, In case I canna win o']


and

[And she's clinkit doon beside him, Beside him, beside him
She's clinkit doon beside him, Amang the grass sae green o']

The end goal here being an accurate rendering of the meaning into readable english, got any suggestions on how to translate "lippen" and "clinkit"?

Post back or just email. I'm curious to see what anyone here thinks.
Cheers,
Preston

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BIRKIN TREE (from Old Blind Dogs)
From: Doug
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 07:22 AM

The 'Dogs' sing it a wee bit differently to those lyrics.

Oh lass, gin' ye would think it right
Tae gyang wi' me this very night
We'll cuddle tae the mornin' light
By a' the lave unseen o'

And ye will be my dearie
My ain dearest dearie
It's ye will be my dearie
Gin ye meet me at e'en o'

I canna for ma mammy gae
She locks the door and hides the key
And in the mornin' charges me
And aye aboot the men o'

For she says they're a' deceivers
Deceivers, deceivers
She says they're a' deceivers
Ye canna trust in ane o'

Oh dinaa min' yer mammy's yell
Nae doot she met yer dad hersel'
And should she flyte, ye can tell her
She's aft times done the same o'

So lassie, gie's yer hand on't
Yer bonnie milk-white hand on't
Lassie, gie's yer hand on't
And scorn tae lie yer lane o'

Oh lad, my haun' I canna gi'e
But aiblins I maun steal the key
And I'll meet ye at yon birkin tree
That grows doon in the glen o'

But dinna lippen, laddie
I canna promise, laddie
Oh dinna lippen, laddie
In case I canna win o'

So he's gaen tae the birkin tree
In hopes his ain true love tae see
When fa come trippin' ower the lea
But just his bonnie Jean o'

And she's clinkit doon beside him
Beside him, beside him
She's clinkit doon beside him
Amang the grass sae green o'

"I'm overjoyed wi' rapture noo"
Quo' he, and preed his cherry moo'
And Jeannie ne'er had cause tae rue
That nicht upon the green o'

For she has got her Johnny
Her ain lovin' Johnny
It's she has got her Johnny
And Johnny's got his Jean o'


I think those are right. ish

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs
From: rich-joy
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 07:17 PM

I rather like the "Jazz-Folk crossover" version too, by Scottish duo "Bachue" (or "Bachue Cafe"?) ... or is them fighting words?!

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs
From: Vixen
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 01:43 PM

Aha--it's the spelling that did me in...I was surprised that I didn't find it in the DT. Now I know why!

Many thanks!

V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 12:04 PM

It's already there, with tune, and final verse omitted here. See THE BIRKEN TREE

The DT file was taken from a book. The song is reasonably well known; Ford printed it in his Vagabond Songs, and there are versions from oral currency in the Greig-Duncan collection; 'Jock Tamson's Bairns' recorded an arrangement of the Ford set back in 1980, and probably a lot of people nowadays know it from that. It appeared on broadsides of the later 19th century, examples of which can be seen at both Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads and The Word on the Street (National Library of Scotland).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs
From: Vixen
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:19 AM

Maybe this should get put in the DT...?

Subject: Lyr Add: BIRKIN TREE (from Old Blind Dogs)
From: Vixen
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:16 AM

Ah got 'em!

LYRICS:


Oh Lass gin ye would think it richt
Tae gang wi' me this very nicht
And cuddle til the morning licht
By a' the lave unseen oh

And you shall be my dearie
My ane my dearest dearie
And you shall be my dearie
Gin ye'll meet me at e'en oh

I daurnae frae my mammy gae
She locks the door and hides the key
And morn and evening charges me
And aye about the men oh

She says they're a' deceivers
Deceivers, deceivers
She says they're a' deceivers
Ye cannae trust tae ane oh

Oh never mind your mammy's yell
Nae doubt she met your dad hersel'
And should she flyte you may her tell
She's oft times done the same oh

So lassie gies yer hand on't
Your bonnie milk white hand on't
So lassie gies yer hand on't
And scorn tae lie your lane oh

Alas my hand I cannae gie
But aiblins I can steal the key
And meet you at yon birkin tree
That grows doon the glen oh

But dinnae lippen laddie
I cannae promise laddie
So dinnae lippen laddie
In case I cannae win oh

So he's gone tae that birkin tree
In hopes his true love there tae see
When who cam' tripplin ower the lea
But just his bonnie Jean oh

And she's sat doon beside him
Beside him beside him
And she's sat doon beside him
Upon the grass sae green oh

Subject: Lyr Req: Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs
From: Vixen
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:13 AM

I bought a CD with a cut called Birkin Tree by Old Blind Dogs. The credits say it's traditional...Anybody got the words??? All I get is a mish-mash of mondegreens!

Thanks,

V