> Folk Music > Songs > I Am a Miller tae My Trade

I Am a Miller tae My Trade

[ Roud 888 ; G/D 7:1489 ; Ballad Index K218 ; DT MILLTRAD ; trad.]

Norman Buchan: 101 Scottish Songs Katherine Campbell: Songs From North-East Scotland Sheila Douglas: Come Gie’s a Sang Peter Shepheard: Jock Duncan: The Man and His Songs Elizabeth Stewart, Alison McMorland: Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen

John MacDonald of Elgin, Morayshire sang The Buchan Miller in a 1955 recording made by Peter Kennedy on the anthology Jack of All Trades (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 3; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968). The album’s booklet noted:

The miller with his grinding stones has long been an erotic figure in European folklore. He is celebrated in songs in French, Italian and Spanish, and Chaucer makes him the comic hero of The Reeve’s Tale. In The Idiom of the People, James Reeves gives us one verse in which all the symbols are gathered together:

Then he got up the mill to grind
And left her down the stones to mind.
Then an easy up and down, –
She scarce could tell when her corn was ground.

Many listeners will recognize this tune, which is related to Johnny Comes Marching Home, Paddy Works on the Railroad, The Jolly Miller (see Side A, No. 10) and many others.

Gordon Elrick sang The Buchan Miller, in a recording made at the Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen in September 1957 (Parlophone R-4501) that was included in 2001 on the Sleepytown anthology The Bothy Songs and Ballads of North East Scotland Vol. 4.

Cindy and Joyce Fisher sang I Am a Miller tae My Trade on the Fisher Family’s Topic album of 1966 Traditional & New Songs From Scotland. Their sister Ray Fisher sang Miller tae My Trade in 1982 on her Folk-Legacy album Willie’s Lady. She noted:

An outstanding song from the impressive repertoire of Lucy Stewart of Fetterangus. Norman Buchan played me a tape of the song and verbally explained how Lucy produced the watermill wheel sound. The movements that I do are not absolutely the same as Lucy’s, but I think the end effect is the same. This type of rhythmic accompaniment is unique—so, too is Lucy Stewart.

Davie Stewart sang I Am a Miller tae Ma Trade at a concert in The Angus Hotel, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, on 13 August 1967. The concert’s recording was published in 1968 as the Topic album Festival at Blairgowrie. This track was also included in 1998 on the Topic anthology Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough (The Voice of the People Series Volume 5) and in 2001 on the Sleepytown anthology The Bothy Songs and Ballads of North East Scotland Vol. 3.

The Sair Heidies sang A Miller tae My Trade on Springthyme’s 1984 album Bothy Greats.

Stravaig sang Miller tae My Trade in 1994 on their Greentrax CD Movin’ On. They noted:

A night visiting song with a difference in that it’s the woman who does the chasing.

Hannah Rarity sang Miller tae My Trade, “a Scots song, from the singing of Lucy Stewart of Fetterangus”, on her 2016 EP Beginnings.

Lyrics

John MacDonald sings The Buchan Miller

I am a miller to my trade and that fu’ well you ken O,
I am a miller to my trade and that fu’ well you know,
I am a miller to my trade and mony’s the bag o’ meal I’ve made
And courted mony a bonnie maid among the bags o’ meal O.

It’s merrily gangs the wheels aroond that grinds the pease and corn O,
It’s merrily gangs the wheels aroond that maksthe stanesto go.
O it’s merrily gangs the wheels aroond, and when the corn’s ripe and soond.
I’ll be the happiest man aroond among the bags o’ meal O.

It happened on a weekday night, I start to leave the lane O,
It happened on a weekday night, my lassie she passed by.
Aye, an’ gently stepping o’er the linns she heard the millie’s clattering din
And softly said : May I come in and shelter from the rain O?

Says I: My lass, you’re welcome here, come in and dry your claes O.
Said I: My lass, you’re welcome here, come in and dry your claes.
Said I: My lass, you’re welcome here now here’s some news that I would speir.
If you’ll consent to be my dear among the bags o’ meal O.

That night she named the weddin’day among the bags o’ meal O.
That night she named the weddin’ day, O that fu’ well I know;
And tho’ the weddin’s by lang syne and now we hae two bairnies fine
And some o’ them are sometimes playing among the bags o’ meal O.

Davie Stewart sings I Am a Miller tae Ma Trade

O I’m a miller to my trade, and that’s the well you ken O.
I am a miller to my trade, and that’s as well you ken O.
I am a miller to my trade. Och, many a sack of meal I’ve made,
And I courted one of the fair young maids a-back the sacks of meal O.

Ah, it happened last e’en of June, when I was on my lane O,
It happened a nicht in June, when I was on my lane O.
My lassie she came tripping up the lane. She says, “Hear the clatters of your mill.”
She thought that she would just looked in to see was I in mysel’ O.

“You’re welcome here, my bonny wee lassie, you’re welcome here for aye O.
You’re welcome here, my bonny lass, you’re welcome here for aye O.
You’re welcome here, my bonny wee lass, and what the question I will ask:
To leave your mammy up and gae with me for aye O.”

The laughing wee lass she gaed a smile. She says, “I canna tell O.”
The laughing lassie gaed a smile. She says, “I canna tell O.”
The laughing lass gae a smile. She says, "Young miller, there wait a while.
It’s to leave my mammy and gae with thee for aye O.”

And you must excuse me, people, now my hands are turning sair O,
You must excuse me, people, my hands are turning sair O.
You must excuse me, people, I’ve a wife and bairnies of my own,
And when I’ve finished this wee song, I think I’ll had awa’ hame.

Ray Fisher sings Miller tae My Trade

I am a miller tae my trade, and that sae weel ye ken, O,
I am a miller tae my trade, and that sae weel ye ken, O.
I am a miller tae my trade, aye, and mony a sack o’ meal I’ve made
And mony a lassie I hae laid at the back o’ the sacks o’ meal, O

As merrily as the wheel gaes roond, the rate sae weel ye ken, O,
As merrily as the wheel gaes roond, the rate sae weel ye ken, O.
O, as merrily as the wheel gaes roond, wi’ grinding peas and corn, O,
A better job was never foond since ever I been born, O.

It happened ae nicht in June, when I was in mysel’, O,
It happened ae nicht in June, when I was in mysel’, O.
O, the lassie cam’ tripplin’ doon the lane, said, “I hear your mill a-clackin’ in,
Aye and I thocht that I would just look in, for tae see if you’re in yoursel’, O.”

“You’re welcome here, my bonnie lass, you’re welcome here for aye, O,
You’re welcome here, my bonnie lass, you’re welcome here for aye, O,
You’re welcome here, my bonnie lass, aye, whit’s the news that I maun hear?
Will ye consent tae bide wi’ me, aye, and bide wi’ me for aye, O?”

The lauchin’ lassie gied a smile, she said she couldna tell, O,
The lauchin’ lassie gied a smile, she said she couldna tell, O.
O, the lauchin’ lassie gied a smile, she said, “Young man, ye’ll wait awhile.
When I hear your mill a-clackin’ in, then ye’ll hae me tae yoursel’, O.”

I kissed her lips as sweet as honey, as sweet as honey dew, O,
I kissed her lips as sweet as honey, as sweet as honey dew, O.
I kissed her lips as sweet as honey until a tear cam’ in her e’e,
“Oh I’ll leave my mammy a’ for thee, aye, and I’ll bide wi’ ye for aye, O.”