The Russian Jew

Elizabeth Stewart, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire: On Autumn Harvest ah011: Old Songs & Bothy Ballads 8: The Little Ball of Yarn Live from the Fife Traditional Singing Festival May 2011.

The song apparently derives, as a result of a misunderstanding of a Gaelic line, from a macaronic music hall song where the Gaelic line Ciamar a tha sibh an diugh (How are you today) becomes misunderstood as Here comes a Russian Jew. Ciamar a tha = How are/ sibh = you/ an diugh = today.

1: Oh ma freens kens weel I'm a ceevil chap,
I belang tae the Aiberdeen Force,
And although I'm no jist awfa stout,
I'm as strong as ony horse.

Chorus:
And I look sae weel fae heid tae heel,
In ma bonnie coat o blue,
And the kids aa cry when I pass by,
"Oh here comes a Russian Jew."

2: Oh the Queen she came tae Aiberdeen,
And she swore upon her soul,
That I wisna like a man at aa,
But a great lang telegraph pole.

3: If I see a man lyin beastless fu,
I dinna say, "Hoo dae ye do?"
But I gie tae him a gey roch shak,
An I says, "Come a Russian Jew."

4: Oh there was a row got up ae nicht,
And I wis there verra quick,
I took a man in ilkie hand,
And I landed them in the nick.
Oh each of them got forty days,
And they lookit rather blue,
Oh each of them got forty days,
Says I, "I'm a Russian Jew."

Chorus:
And I look sae weel fae heid tae heel,
In ma bonnie coat o blue,
And the kids aa cry when I pass by,
"Oh here comes a Russian Jew."

c p 2012 Autumn Harvest : www.springthyme.co.uk