My Wee Doggie

On Springthyme SPRCD 1038
Jane Turriff - Singin is Ma Life

Sung by Jane Turriff accompanying herself on accordion.

This is one of a whole family of songs featuring chance encounters with roving young - often disdainful or underage - women, such as The Queen Amang the Heather. It is well known among travellers, but has hardly ever appeared in print. Greig Duncan 254, My Dog and I, has a similar opening verse, but there the similarity ends, the rest of that song having to do with the pair warming their feet after hunting in bad weather. Jane's song on the other hand is a delicate courtship song with a soaring melody.

Jane: That's a good aul fashioned sang, that. That's ma grannie's sang. God, I used tae sit an listen tae ma grannie singin.

1: Oh my wee doggie learnt me a trick,
To go a-hountin when it wis dark;
To go a-hountin when it wis dark,
To go a-hountin, my wee dog an I
 
2: I hadn't went far on my way,
When a nice young girlie she wis goin my way;
To go a-hountin on my way,
And I courted that young maid like any man could do.
 
3: "Oh I love apples an I love pears,
I love these cherries that grows on thon tree;
And I love my true love and he loves me,
So begone young man, begone, for I don't love you."
 
4: ["Oh lassie, oh lassie, dry awa your tears,
For it's my bad behaviour has caused you tae mourn,
But the world it is wide ma love and we'll gang 'side
And the whole world will ken that my love is yours."]
 
5: "Oh lassie, oh lassie, dry awa your tears
An for your bairnie, you need nae fear:
The world is wide my love and we'll gang 'side
And the whole world will ken that your bairnie is mine."
 
6: He's took thon high road and she's taen thon glen,
And aye he whistled and aye she sung
The sang she sung wis the threid o blue,
"Oh I love my true love, but I don't love you."
 
7: My wee doggie learnt me a trick,
To go a-hountin when it wis dark;
To go a-hountin when it wis dark,
Go a-hountin wi my wee dog an I.

Recorded by Peter Cooke and Akiko Takamatsu, Mintlaw 1987 and by Thomas McKean, Mintlaw 1994

Traditional arranged Jane Turriff
Springthyme Records © 1996.