Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: GUEST,Guest Maggie
Date: 26 Feb 18 - 06:31 PM

Find a picture of a pipe band, some pipers are wearing caps. On top of the cap is a red ball (like on a toque)that red ball is called a toorie. Go to - https://www.bestkilts.com and find a Piper's Hat.

GUEST,Cdgribble : Your version of the chorus is wrong you have 1 too many oories in it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: GUEST,Mayomick
Date: 12 Mar 15 - 10:55 AM

What is a toorie? The fisherman in Donegal all used to call knitted hats "toories" in the seventies . When I asked for an explanation of the word , which I'd never heard before, one of them told me that he thought they might have been named after visiting tourists , who used to wear such headgear. The post got me thinking there may be a connection to this Scots' "toorie"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: GUEST,me
Date: 11 Mar 15 - 11:33 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: GUEST,Cdgribble
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 08:01 PM

The song by Metchosin is the one I remember singing through the war. It is accurate except I think the last part of the chorus goes ..........And when swinging into action he's the centre of attraction, he's the pride of Bonnie Scotland so they say

The word used was into -- never intae (which is Glaswegian)

and I think the last 2 lines go .............
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-oorie-oorie-ay
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-ay

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 09:34 AM

allmusic lists recordings by Gisele Mackenzie, on "Canada's First Lady of Song," ASV/Living Era CD #5545, 2004 (It also has a sound sample.) and by Tommy Scott. Authorship is credited to George "Funky" Brown and Noel Gay.

It says Gisele Mackenzie "did for Canadian audiences what Jo Stafford did for the Americans and what Kate Smith did for the Brits." (I wasn't aware Kate Smith had been popular in Britain. Wouldn't, say, Vera Lynn have been a better comparison? Or is there something subtle to this comparison I'm not getting?)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TOORIE ON HIS BONNET (from E Knight)
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Mar 05 - 11:46 AM

THE TOORIE ON HIS BONNET
(from a recording by Evelyn Knight)


Mactavish was pipe major
In the Highland Scots Brigade
And proudly led the regiment
When it was on parade
He loved a highland lassie
And before he went away
She sewed a little keepsake
So he'd think of her each day

Twas the toorie on his bonnet
The red toorie on it
His red toorie-oorie-oorie ay
He left his kilt and sporran
And off he went to war in
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-ay.

And when swingin' intae action,
He's the center of attraction
The pride o' bonny Scotland so they say.
What made the Gerrys run
It was not his tommy gun
'Twas the toorie on his bonnet
The bonnie toorie on it
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-ay.

When he came home on furlough
To his wee bit but and ben
He met his bonnie Jeanie
And went roamin down the glen
She said to him Mactavish man
If you were true to me
Give me your old glengarry
For there's one thing I must see

Twas the toorie on his bonnet
The red toorie on it
His red toorie-oorie-oorie ay
He left his kilt and sporran
And off he went to war in
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-ay.

And went swinging intae action
He's the centre of attraction
The pride of bonnie Scotland so they say
Twas not the moon nor skies
Or the way he rolled his eyes
Twas the toorie on his bonnet
The boonie toorie on it
His red toorie-oorie-oorie-ay
His red toorie-oorie oorie-ay

Subject: RE: The Tourie on His Bonnet
From: GUEST,Orrin
Date: 16 Mar 05 - 10:27 AM

CHORUS:
It was no the tommy gun
That made the Gerrys run.
'Twas the tourie on his bonnet,
The red tourie on it.
The red tourie-ourie-ourie-ay.

I remember my mum singing this in the '50s. Only remember a bi, but I know that an early verse reveals that our hero's tourie was knitted for him by his sweetheart.

The verse fragment I know:

And when swingin' intae action,
He's the center of attraction.
The pride o' bonny Scotland so they saaay.

CHORUS

Subject: The Toorie on His Bonnet
From: LizR
Date: 13 Mar 99 - 01:08 AM

I am looking for the words of a Scottish song, popular during world war II. I don't know how to spell "toorie". It ends: " the red toorie-oorie-oorie-ai" Thanks