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Coulter’s Candy

[ Roud 19019 ; Ballad Index MSNR154 ; Robert Coltart]

Robin Hall and Jimmie NacGregor with The Galliards sang Coulter’s Candy in 1961 on their album Scottish Choice.

Sandy and Caroline Paton sang Coulter’s Candy in 1966 on their Folk-Legacy album Folksongs and Ballads. They noted:

We learned the first two verses of this light-hearted children’s song from the young Scottish singer Robin Hall, in London, early in 1958. Later, we saw a longer version printed by Norman Buchan in The Weekly Scotsman newspaper. Norman had the song from Roddy McMillan, a Scottish actor, who said that Coulter really did peddle candy down in Peebleshire, sometime during the last century.

We have been singing this song to American audiences for seven years now, and each year have reluctantly Anglicized more of the Scotticisms we originally attempted to retain. We have even subdued much of the dialect, after finding, to our dismay, that it was absolutely necessary if we wanted our audiences to have a clue as to what the song was all about. This deplorable discovery is the reason we print the text here in a more or less intelligible form. A few words may still require translation: ‘greeting’ means crying, a ‘bawbee’ is a ha’penny or half a cent, and a ‘thrifty’ is the small bank, purse, or money-box in which all good Scottish children are taught to save their coins in order to preserve the factitious national image.

Ray Fisher sang Coulter’s Candy in 1991 on her Saydisc CD Traditional Songs of Scotland. This track was also included in 2003 on the Holmfirth Festival 25 years anniversary CD Roots & Wings. Ray noted:

This is surely the most widely known, and most regularly sung, lullaby in the Scottish repertoire. Mr Coulter would go around the streets selling his ‘sweeties’ from a basket which he carried on his head. Norman Buchan, in his 101 Scottish Songs (Collins) says that Mr Coulter plied his trade in the Border area of Scotland. Countless children have been sung to sleep with this song—my own included!

Martin Hall sang Coulter’s Candy in 1992 on his Fellside cassette Ringing the Changes. He noted:

Widely performed, this song, now almost a nursery rhyme, began as an advertisement for the wares of Robert Colthart. Children’s demands rarely change.

Judy Dunlop sang Coulter’s Candy on her 1999 CD My Arms Are a Cradle.

Beth Malcolm sang the chorus of Ally Bally Bee as part of the Osmosis song medley on her 2024 album Folkmosis.

Lyrics

Sandy and Caroline Paton sang Coulter’s Candy

Ally, bally, bally bally bee,
Settin’ on your mammy’s knee,
Greetin’ for a wee bawbee
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy.

Poor wee soul, you’re lookin’ very thin;
A puckle of bones covered o’er wi’ skin.
Now you’re gettin’ a wee double-chin
Wi’ eatin’ Coulter’s candy.

Mammy, hand me my thrifty down;
Here’s old Coulter comin’ round
Wi’ a basket on his crown,
Sellin’ Coulter’s candy.

Ally, bally, bally bally bee,
When you grow up, you’ll go tae sea,
Makin’ pennies for your mammy
and me Tae buy some Coulter’s candy.

Ally, bally, bally bally bee,
Settin’ on your mammy’s knee,
Greetin’ for a wee bawbee
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy.

Ray Fisher sings Coulter’s Candy

Chorus (after each verse):
Ally, Bally, Ally Bally Bee,
Sittin’ on your mammy’s knee,
Greetin’ for a wee bawbee,
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy.

O Ally, Bally, Ally Bally Bee,
When you grow up you’ll gang to sea,
Makin’ pennies for your Daddy and me,
Tae buy some Coulter’s candy.

Now pair wee Jeannie, she’s lookin’ awful thin,
A rickle o’ banes covered ower wi’ kin,
But soon she’ll be gettin’ a wee double chin,
Wi’ sookin’ Coulter’s candy.

Mummy, hand me my thrify doon,
Here’s old Coulter comin’ roon,
Wi’ a basket on his croon,
Selling Coulter’s candy.

So go to sleep my bonny wee lamb,
It’s seven o’clock and your playin’s done,
But when you rise wi’ the morning sun
You’ll get mair Coulter’s candy.