> Folk Music > Songs > Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie

Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie

[ Roud 2582 ; G/D 4:870 ; Ballad Index FVS198 ; James Duff (1916)]

Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl: The Singing Island Norman Buchan and Peter Hall: The Scottish Folksinger

Ewan MacColl sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in 1962 on his Folkways album with Peggy Seeger, Popular Scottish Songs. He noted:

The author of this song, James Duff, known as ‘The Methven Poet’, was a gardener by trade. A volume of his poems which includes the text of this songs, was published in Perth in 1816. It is now fairly well known throughout Northeast Scotland.

John Mearns sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in ca 1964-5 on his EP John Mearns Sings Six Scottish Folk-Songs.

The Union Folk sang Lassie Wi’ a Yellow Coatie in 1969 on their Traditional Sound album A Basketful of Oysters.

Gordon McIntyre and Kate Delaney sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in 1981 on their Larrikin album Blackwaterside.

Jim Reid sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in 1984 on his Springthyme album I Saw the Wild Geese Flee. He noted:

Words by James Duff (1916) and the tune said to be older.

A song that has long been a favourite at ceilidhs, not only a lovely song, but a good old time waltz.

Douglas Birch sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in a recording made by Mike and Emma Yates in 2000-3. It was released in 2003 on Yates’ Kyloe anthology of Ballads, songs and tune from the Scottish Borders, Borderers.

The Elliotts of Birtley sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie on Pete and Pat Elliott’s album Yet Again. This track was also included in 2003 on the Holmfirth Festival’s 25 years anniversary anthology, Roots & Wings.

Canny Fettle sang Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie in 2016 on their CD still Gannin’ Canny.

Lyrics

Ewan MacColl sings Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie

Chorus (after each verse):
Lassie wi’ the yellow coatie,
Will ye wed a muirland jockie?
Lassie wi’ the yellow coatie,
Will ye busk and gang wi’ me?

I hae meat and milk in plenty,
I hae kail and cakes fu’ dainty;
I’ve a but-and-ben fu’ genty,
But I want a wife like thee.

Wi’ my lassie and my doggie,
O’er the lea and through the boggie;
Nane on earth was e’er sae vaunty
Or as blyth as we will be.

Haste ye, lassie, to my bosum
While the roses are in blossom.
Time is precious, dinna loose them,
Flowers will fade and so will ye.

Jim Reid sings Lassie Wi’ the Yellow Coatie

“Lassie wi the yellow coatie,
Wud ye wad a muirland jockie?
Lassie wi the yellow coatie,
Wud ye busk and gang wi me?

“I hae meal and milk in plenty,
I hae kale and cakes fu dainty,
I hae a but and ben fu gentie,
But I want a wife like thee.”

Ower the lea and through the boggie,
Wi ma lassie and ma doggie,
Nane on earth wud be sae vogie,
As ma lass and I wud be.

“Haste ye lassie tae ma bosom,
While the roses are in blossom,
Time is precious dinna lose them,
Flooers wud fade and so will we.

“Lassie wi the yellow coatie,
Wud ye wad a muirland jockie?
Lassie wi the yellow coatie,
Wud ye busk and gang wi me?
Wud ye busk and gang wi me?”