The Nutting Girl

Arthur Watson: Long before I joined Peter Hall (and Tom Spiers) in The Gaugers, he recorded several song tunes for me that have remained part of my repertory. Peter gave me two tunes for The Nutting Girl (GD 4:1745; Roud 509) from the Greig-Duncan collection to which he had early access in King’s College Library. He also collected a version from Bill Rhynd of Cove in Kincardineshire under the title Young Jackie which Peter sang on The Gaugers debut recording Beware of The Aberdonian (Topic 12TS284, Sleepytown SLPYCD 008). I use a set of words based on Bill Rhynd’s version with the addition of a further verse appropriated from John Kirkpatrick at an Irvine festival in the early 1970s.

There would seem to be a convention in folk song that when a young woman collects nuts ravishment will soon follow. In The Lassie Gaitherin Nuts (sung by Lizzie Higgins) she appears to sleep through the action, while in The Nutting Girl she says, “Young man I feel sae queer, the world’s gaen walkin roon.”

Arthur (vocal) with Tom & Pete (vocals)

1: It’s o a brisk young ploughboy, a-ploughin on his land,
Says, “Whoa” untae his horses, and he bids them gently stand.

Chorus:
And lie ower an I’ll lie tae O,
Lie ower an I’ll lie tae;
Ma bonnie, bonnie lassie,
Lie ower an I’ll lie tae.

2: And he sat doun on his plough there and he began tae sing,
His voice wis so melodious, it made the valley ring.

3: And it’s o a bonnie lassie, wis nuttin in the wid,
Young Jackie sang sae sweetly that he’s charmed her far she stood. [far=where

4: And it’s fan she heard young Jackie sing, she could no longer stay, [fan=when
And what few nuts that poor girl had, she threw them all away.

5: And she gaed up tae young Jackie then, as he sat on his plough,
She says, “Young man I feel sae queer, I canna tell ye how.”

6: And young Jackie left his horses and he also left his plough,
He’s taen her intae yon green wid, his courage for tae show.

7: And he’s taen her intae yon green wid, it’s there he’s laid her down,
She says young man, “I feel sae queer, the world’s gaen walkin roon.”

8: And it’s six months bein over, and nine months were comin on,
Young Jackie received a letter that he hid a fine young son.

9: And young Jackie read that letter there, his face wioot a frown,
He says, “I’m sure she’ll mind on the day the world gaed walkin roon.”

Chorus:
And lie ower an I’ll lie tae O,
Lie ower an I’ll lie tae;
Ma bonnie, bonnie lassie,
Lie ower an I’ll lie tae.

c p 2006 Springthyme Records • Springthyme Music