“Jocky Said to Jeanie”
Description
"Jocky said to Jeanie, wilt thou do't? Ne'er a fit, quo' Jeannie, for my tocher good." She says her dowry is too good for such as him. He says he has gold, gear, and land. She consents: "Ye're welcomer to tak me than to let me be."
Supplemental text
Jocky Said to Jeanie
Complete text(s)
*** A ***
Jocky Said to Jeany
From James Johnson, "The Scots Musical Museum," Volume I, #61, pp.
62. As found in the 1853 edition (punctuation is somewhat uncertain,
given the state of the facsimile).
Jocky said to Jeany, Jeany, wilt thou do't?
Ne'er a fit, quo' Jeany, for my tocher good,
For my tocher good I winna marry thee.
E'ens ye like, quo' Jocky, ye may let me be.
I hae gowd and gear, I hae land enough,
I hae seven good owsen ganging in a pleught,
Ganging in a pleugh, and linking o'er the lee;
And gin ye winna tak me, I can let ye be.
I hae a good ha' house, a barn, and a byre,
A stack afore the door; I'll make a rantin' fire,
I'll make a rantin fire, and merry shall we be;
And gin ye winna tak me, I can let ye be.
Jeany said to Jocky, Gin ye winna tell,
Ye shall be the lad, I'll be the lass mysell.
Ye're a bonny lad, and I'm a lassie free,
Ye're welcomer to tak me than to let me be.
Notes
Creighton-NovaScotia heard this song in Gaelic and French as well as English and always to the same tune. - BS
My feeling is that Creighton's version was a local adaption. Her tune (in 2/4 and with a range of only a fourth) bears no resemblance to that, e.g., in the Scots Musical Museum (in 3/2 and with a full octave range). My guess would be that a Gaelic drone went into French and English. - RBW
References
- Creighton-NovaScotia 22, "Jocky Said to Jinnie" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
- ST CrNS022 (Full)
- Roud #1792
- BI, CrNS022