| Author | Topic: Add: Robbie Tamson's Smiddie | |
| dmcg | Posted - 08 Oct 06 - 08:10 am | |
Me mither mend't me auld breeks, But ay! but they were diddy; She sent me to get shod the mare At Robbie Tamson's smiddie. Now t' smiddie lies ayent the burn That wamples thro' the claughin' And ne'er a time I pass that way But aye I fall a-laughin'. (Chrous) Singing fol lol de lol de rol, Ri fol lol de laddy, Sing fol de du-y, du-y day, Sing fol de du-y daddy. Now Robin was a canny lad Wha had an ainly daughter; He'd niver let her tak a mon, Though mony a yan had sought her. I'll tell you news of my exploits The time the mare was shoeing I steppit in ahint the lass And quickly fell a-wooing. It's aye she eyed my auld breeks The time that they were making; Say I, "My lass, ne'er mind my breeks. There's new yans in the making. Gin ye'll agree to gang wi' me, And leave the carle thy father, Ye'll hae my breeks to keep in trim, Myself and a' together." The lassie smiled and shook her head, Says she "You offer's clever; I think I'll gang awa' w' yan, We'll baith gae on the back o't. For gin I wait my father's time I'll wait till I bin fifty; So I think I'll tak ye at your word, And make a wife sa thrifty." Now Robbie was an angry man For a' t' loss of his daughter, Through all the town baith up and down, And far an near he sought her. But when he cam to our gude inn And found us baith together, Says I "My lad, I've tick your bairn, Tho' ye mak tak my mither." Now RObbie grinned and shook his head; Quo' he, "I think I'll marry; And so I'll tak ye at your word, To end the hurry burry." So Robbie and our ain gudewife Agreed to creep together: So I've ta'en Robbie Tamson's pet, And Robbie's ta'en my mither. Source: Broadwood, Lucy, 1893, English County Songs, Leadenhall Press, London Notes: Lucy Broadwood write:
(The song was actually collected by J.A. Fuller-Maitland, co-auther of County Songs) Roud: 939 (Search Roud index at VWML) | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 08 Oct 06 - 05:52 pm | |
It should be added that this appears in the 'Northumberland' section, and that the initials appearing over tunes in this book are not an indication of who "collected" the song (several are taken from other books, for one thing, while others were sent in by correspondents) but are credits for the piano arrangements. Frank Kidson (Traditional Tunes, 82-84) notes that the words were written by Alexander Rodgers (sic), and set by him to the tune of 'The Cornclips', an earlier song from which he also borrowed the opening lines (see http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7761). Broadside editions at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads: Duddy breeks, or Robin Thompson's smiddy Alexander Rodger (1784-1846) "the "Radical Poet", was born in Mid Clader, Midlothian, the son of a farmer. He was initially apprenticed to a silversmith, then to a handloom weaver. He worked for a while as a weaver and music teacher, but went to work on a radical Glasgow weekly newspaper, The Spirit of the Union, in 1819. In the aftermath of the Radical Rising of 1820, he spent 11 days in prison on suspicion of publishing seditious material. He published a number of collections of dialect verse, much of it satirical. Besides editing The Reformers Gazette, he was a regular contributor to, and later editor of, Whistle-Binkie; in which 'My Auld Breeks' was first published, in 1842. Among other songs, he also wrote the original version of 'The Mucking o' Geordie's Byre'. See, for example, http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSA05178. Rodger's collected verses can be seen at http://scotstext.org/roughs/alex_rodger/alex_rodger.asp. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 08 Oct 06 - 06:16 pm | |
Thank you, Malcolm. I didn't assign it to Fuller-Maitland because of the entry in the book, but because the entry in the VWML does. I suspect the entry makes the mistake you describe above. Edited By DMCG - 08 Oct 06 - 06:31 pm | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 11 Oct 06 - 12:15 am | |
I think the error derives from the Roud Index originally, where Steve inadvertently made the assumption that I thought you had made. | ||