Henry's Songbook

The Guise o' Tough

• (Trad)

  Tae ma hi tum do tae ma hi tum day
  Tae ma hi tae ma do tae ma hi tum day

  I gaed up tae Alford fir tae get a fee
  And I fell in wi' Jamie Broon and wi' him did agree

  I engaged wi' Jamie Broon in the year o' ninety-one
  Tae gang hame an' ca' his second pair an' be his orraman

  When I gaed hame tae Guise o' Tough 'twas on an evening clear
  An' oot aboot some orra hoose the gaffer did appear

  I'm the maister o' this place an' that's the mistress there
  An' ye'll get plenty cheese an' breid an' plenty mair tae spare

  I sat an' ate at cheese an' breid till they did roon' me stare
  An' then I thocht that it wis time tae gang an' see my pair

  I gaed tae the stable my pairie fir tae view
  An' aye they were a dandy pair a chestnut and a blue

  On the followin' mornin' I gaed tae the ploo
  But lang lang ower lowsin' time my pairie gart me rue

  My ploo she wisna workin' weel she widna throw the fur
  The gaffer says a better yin at the smiddy tae gang fir

  When I got hame the new ploo she pleased me unco weel
  But I thought she wid be better gin she had a cuttin' wheel

  I wrocht awa' a month or twa wi' unco little clatter
  Till I played up some nasty tricks and broke the tattie chapper

  The gaffer he got word o' this and orders did lay doon
  That if I did the like again he wad pit me frae the toon

  Noo my song is ended and I won't sing any more
  An' if ony o' you be offended ye can walk ootside the door

  (as sung by Cilla Fisher & Artie Trezise)

fee - hired job
orraman - ploughman
orra hoose - stable
lowsin' time - end of day's work
throw the fur - plough a furrow
unco - uncommonly

Susannes Folksong-Notizen

Bothy ballad from Aberdeenshire. From Gavin Greig, 'Folk Song of the North East'

• [1959:] This is a very lively tune and not unnaturally the song has gathered around itself probably hundreds of verses, which varied according to circumstances, location and mood of the singer. It shows most of the characteristics of the cornkisters - their work, their friends, the 'gaffer' and the 'kitchie deems'. [...] I have only printed a selection of the available verses. [1-7 of the above version.] (Norman Buchan, Weekly Scotsman, February 5)

• [1968:] Although there are no work songs proper in present day lowland Scots tradition, there are many about work. Some of the best of these are the bothy ballads. The farm servants were hired for a term of six months and if the farmer was a hard man there was nothing to do but tighten the belt and and grimly see it through to the next feeing market. It was only in the few leisure hours in the men's sleeping quarters, the bothies, that they could give vent to their feelings. (Peter Hall, notes Norman Kennedy, 'Scots Songs and Ballads')