Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil

To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café ^TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=79217
12 messages

Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil

12 Mar 05 - 06:03 PM (#1433297)
Subject: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: Joe Offer

In our discussion of "The Irish Rover," I came across an entry in the Traditional Ballad Index that stated that "Katey of Lochgoil" is similar in feel to "Irish Rover," although they are not related. The song is printed in -- Robert Ford's Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland (one-volume edition, 1904). I don't have that book or any other source for the song. Can anybody post the lyrics for us? If you can so a scan of the tune or a MIDI or Noteworthy Composer transcription, please e-mail it to me for posting.
-Joe Offer-
joe@mudcat.org

Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Katey of Lochgoil

DESCRIPTION: "'Twas on the year Eleventy-nine, And March the fortieth day, That Katey of Lochgoil, my boys, To sea she'll bore away." The singer vows he will not sail again after strange voyage with "Tonald More an' Tugald More, Shon Tamson an' Shon Roy."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1901 (Ford)
KEYWORDS: sailor ship talltale humorous
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Ford-Vagabond, pp. 241-243, "Katey of Lochgoil" (1 text)
Roud #13088
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Irish Rover" (theme)
NOTES [19 words]: Sort of a Scottish version of "The Irish Rover." There are no lyrics in common, but the feeling is identical. - RBW
File: FVS241

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

There is no listing for this song at folktrax.org.

12 Mar 05 - 06:17 PM (#1433313)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: akenaton

Thanks Joe, I'll need to do a bit of digging locally.

"Katey of Lochgoil" appears to be the vessels' name...Ake

12 Mar 05 - 09:21 PM (#1433415)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Note- Date 1901 indicates that the song is is the Second Series (vol. 2 of the first edition thusly).

(Too expensive for me, without knowledge of contents)

23 Mar 05 - 03:21 AM (#1441315)
Subject: Lyr Add: KATEY OF LOCHGOIL
From: masato sakurai

I've just got Ford's Vagabond Songs, 2 vols. (1899-1901). "Katey of Lochgoil" is on pages 51-53 of the second series, with no music.

       KATEY OF LOCHGOIL
         Tune--"The Whalers."

'Twas on the year Eleventy-nine,
And March the fortieth day,
That Katey of Lochgoil, my boys,
To sea she'll bore away.

       To my fal al de dal, etc.

Now Katey, she's as fine a ship
As ever yet was rig;
And when she'll got her mainsail up,
Got! you'll tuke her for a prig.

T'ere was Tonald More an' Tugald More,
Shon Tamson an' Shon Roy;
And all our whole ship's companie
Was one laddie an' a poy.

As we'll sail by the Pladda light,
She'll plew a terrible plow;
Says Tonald More to Tugald More,
She'll thinks she's pest pelow.

As we steer round the Ailsa Craig,
She'll plew a wondrous gale;
Says Tonald More to Tugald More,
We'll turn apoot her tail.

As we steer round the Toward Point,
She'll plew a terrible plast;
She'll plew up such a hurricane,
She'll plew away her mast.

As we came by the Cloch light-house,
She'll plaw a terrible plew
It's Tonald at the poo, my boys,
O! she'll be tuke a spew.

The captain, being kind to us,
Put on the muckle pot,
Wi' scatyuns for to boil to us--
But de'l a one we'll got.

T'ere was Tonald More an' Tugald More,
Shon Tamson an' his mate,
Was putting his cousin's son ashore,
For breakin' a scatyun plate.

Ta signal that our Katey had,
Was Tobald's bonnet blue;
Ta skipper being out on shore,
It's he the signal knew.

Noo Katey, she is home again,
And safe on Greenock quay;
And ere she'll go to sea again,
She'll tuke new hands for me.

(This was long, and even until recently, a popular song at small social parties throughout the West of Scotland. All readily engaging lustily in the chorus.)

23 Mar 05 - 03:48 AM (#1441324)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: Big Tim

Well done Masato!

Loch Goil is a sea loch (fjord) off of the Firth of (river) Clyde. All of the place names mentioned are in the Firth or the Irish Sea, especially Ailsa Craig ("Paddy's Milestone"). Cloch ("stony") Lighthouse is visible from my front door and Toward Point is about eight miles south.

The tune and basic structure is "Greenland Whale Fisheries". I wonder which came first?

23 Mar 05 - 06:48 AM (#1441385)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: GUEST,Fiosrach

what's the tune of Katey of Lochgoil?

29 Feb 20 - 09:22 AM (#4036711)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: GUEST,Starship

Lyrics at the following from a book published in 1857.

https://books.google.ca/books?id=llNJAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=Twas+on+the+year+Eleventy-nine,+And+March+the+fortieth+day,+Th

29 Feb 20 - 11:02 AM (#4036725)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: GUEST,Starship

Incidentally, 'The Universal Comic Song Book' can be viewed online (and might be worth book-marking) in its entirety. Because it dates from 1857 it may be of use to people wanting lyrics for humourous songs that are otherwise difficult to locate.

29 Feb 20 - 05:11 PM (#4036789)
Subject: ADD Version: Katey of Lochgoil
From: Joe Offer

From The Universal Comic Song Book, Glasgow, 1857

KATEY OF LOCHGOIL.
AIR-“The Whalers.”

'Twas on the year eleventy-nine,
And March the fortieth day,
That the Katey of Lochgoil, my boys,
To sea she'll bore away.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

Now Katey, she's as fine a ship
As ever yet was rigg;
And when she'll got her mainsail up,
Got! you'll tuke her for a prig.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

T'ere was Tonald More an’ Tougald More,
Shon Tamson an’ Shon Roy;
And all our whole ship's companie
Was twa laddie and a poy.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

As we'll sail by the Pladda light,
She'll plew a terrible plow;
Says Tonald More to Tougald More,
She'll thinks she's pest pelow.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

As we steer round the Ailsa Craig,
She ll plew a wondrous gale;
Says Tougald More to Tonald More,
We'll turn apoot her tail.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

As we steer round the Toward point,
She'll plew a terrible plast;
She'll plew sech a hurricane,
She'll plew awa her mast.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

As we cam by the Cloch licht-house,
She'll plaw a terrible plew;
It's Tonald at the poo, my boys,
O! she'll be tuke a spew.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c,

The captain, being kind to us,
Put on the muckle pot
Wi' scatyuns for to boil to us
But de'il a’ ane we'll got.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

T'ere was Tonald More an' Tougald More,
Shon Tamson an his mate,
Was putting his coosin's son ashore,
For breaking a scatyun plate.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

Ta signal tat our Katey had,
Was Tonald's bonnet blue;
Ta skipper being out on shore,
It's he the signal knew.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

Noo Katey, she is hame again,
And safe on Greenock key:
And when she'll go to sea again,
She'll tuke new han's for me.
Tae my fal al de dal, &c.

17 Mar 20 - 07:26 PM (#4040359)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: Jim Dixon

Starship: congratulations on your discovery! I have sent an email to the editors of the Ballad Index so they can update their database with this new information--it pushes back their "earliest date" by 44 years! I have done this before and they always appreciate receiving this kind of information.

17 Mar 20 - 07:50 PM (#4040364)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: GUEST,Starship

Thank you, Jim. I'm pleased it will be of use.

17 Mar 20 - 09:18 PM (#4040382)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Katey of Lochgoil
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh

The comic representation by Lowlanders of a "Highland" accent can also be found in "The Massacre of MacPherson", of similar date, and "Turnimspike" (i.e. "turnpike") from the eighteenth century. Neil Munro carried it on in his popular "Para Handy" tales. But isn't this kind of singling-out of a particular group for a joke at its expense, albeit mild, the kind of thing we're now expected to disapprove of with justified self-righteousness whenever we get the chance? Just a thought.