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21 Oct 08 - 06:55 AM (#2471607) Subject: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST,Jiggers Hi, This query concerns the song The Old Man on Awkward Annie CD by Kate Rusby. There are a few phrases I don't quite understand possibly because I am not familiar with the speech expressions. Can anyone explain the following ? "And you must mind the speckled hen, For fear she'll lay away;" What does it mean to 'lay away' ? Is this some sort of agricultural colloquialism for not laying any eggs ? "He swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars, And the green leaves on the tree, If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life, She'll no be ruled by he" "If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life". How does this translate and make sense ? Is this one of those northern English phrases that means the opposite of its literal translation ? Jiggers |
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21 Oct 08 - 07:06 AM (#2471615) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: John MacKenzie I assume the habit of some hens when kept in a 'free range', or natural system, to lay eggs hidden away under bushes etc, rather than in the nest boxes in the hen house. The second one is more difficult, in my mind it means that if she doesn't work hard enough, he'll throw her out. I don't know how old the song is, but in days gone by, women were regarded as chattels, and were the 'property' of their husbands. The married woman's property act wasn't passed in England till 1882, so a song wouldn't need to be very old, for this meaning to be correct. JM |
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21 Oct 08 - 07:21 AM (#2471623) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST, Sminky All makes perfect sense to me. Nothing particularly northern about it. I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun. Thomas A. Edison US inventor (1847 - 1931) |
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21 Oct 08 - 07:25 AM (#2471627) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST,Dave Burland Maybe the Speckled hen one is a euphemism for 'treat your partner properly', or she may leave you. May be gender confusion in the other verse if you swap the he and she around it makes a sort of sense. e.g. He'll no be ruled by she |
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21 Oct 08 - 03:44 PM (#2472086) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: Ross Campbell Check out "John Grumlie" (in the forum here:- thread.cfm?threadid=41847#606182 The farmer thinks his wife's work is easily done. She challenges him to swap for a day. She, of course, sails through his work effortlessly while he makes a pig's breakfast of everything he turns his hand to. The hens would normally be kept close to the farm and encouraged to lay in nesting-boxes where the eggs could be readily collected. Their natural instinct would be to find somewhere quiet, eg under a hedgerow, hence "laying away". Can't speak as to the other lines. Perhaps they're misheard? I sang this (the John Grumlie song) as intro and outro for a school play of the same title in about 1966, learned the song under the tutelage of Mr Couper and Mrs Jessiman at Balfron High School, where folk music was seriously encouraged. Somewhere I still have the published script of the play, purloined for me some years after by the late Calder Oswald, my former science teacher. The thread linked above has some very interesting contributions, including American versions from kytrad and others. I've just realised that the version I sang was in even broader Scots than that listed. I'll try to dig it out. Ross |
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21 Oct 08 - 03:59 PM (#2472100) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: Ross Campbell The "John Grumlie" version as I remember it is here:- http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/grumlie.html The tune's pretty close to how I would do it. I can feel a bit of re-learning coming on! Ross |
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21 Oct 08 - 04:36 PM (#2472135) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST RossCampbell - Thanks for the explanation of 'laying away' - that makes a bit of sense. Thanks also for the alternative version. I can probably adopt some of the words. Jiggers |
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23 Oct 08 - 09:02 AM (#2473651) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST,Jiggers Yikes - I'm changing the lines I don't like to something I am happier with. Kate's lines as follows : He swore by the sun, the moon, and the stars, And the green leaves on the tree, If his wife didn't do a day's work in her life, She'll no be ruled by he changed to : He swore by the sun, the moon and the stars And then to end the row, Said, tomorrow,my wife, you'll bide in the home And I'll go drive the plough Thanks for the help. |
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23 Oct 08 - 09:46 AM (#2473679) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: Backwoodsman Ah! The Folk Process is alive and well! |
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28 Mar 09 - 01:56 PM (#2599336) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST,elphaba_lives "If his wife didnt do a days work in her life She'll no be ruled by he" Well its simple really- put it in context with the rest of the song. The old man says that he does more work than her. She in return says "alright then, you stay at home in my place and see how hard it is." As the song goes on, he finds that it is very hard, and what he is basically saying in that quote is "Even if my wife didnt do another day's work ever, I would not criticise her or tell her what to do." Hope that helps! |
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21 Mar 11 - 01:53 PM (#3118413) Subject: RE: Old Man (K. Rusby) - bits I don't get From: GUEST,Guest roxanne I don't suppose anyone knows the chords to this song? |