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The Ploughman

[ Roud 5582 ; G/D 3:451 ; Ballad Index Ord217 ; Robert Burns, trad.]

David Herd: Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc. John Ord: Bothy Songs and Ballads Stephen Sedley: The Seeds of Love

Jean Redpath sang The Ploughman in 1981 on her Philo/Greentrax album The Songs of Robert Burns Volume 3 Serge and Esther Hovey noted:

Here we have a traditional “rustic” song, as remodeled by Burns. There are many versions of this popular tune found in such collections as the Orpheus Caledonius (1733); Herd’s MS. (1765- 76); The Perth Musical Miscellany (1786); Scots Musical Museum (1788); and The Merry Muses of Caledonia (c.1800).

Drinkers Drouth sang The Ploughman on their 1984 album Bound to Go.

Hector Gilchrist and Liz Thompson sang The Ploughman in 1996 on their WildGoose album of songs of Robert Burns, The Lea Rig. Hector Gilchrist noted:

Published in the second volume of The Museum, this collected song illustrates the highs and lows of a ploughman’s life, as seen through the eyes of his obviously love smitten partner. The ‘Top Dog’ of the farm working hierarchy around the farm toons, the ploughman, could command the highest wages and as it seems here, the best of attention.

Leslie Hale sang The Ploughman in 1998 on the Linn anthology The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 4.

Susie and Jim Malcolm sang The Ploughman on Jim’s 2007 album of songs of Robert Burns, Acquaintance. He noted:

I was delighted to discover Rabbie had referred in a song to my beloved Perth (then called St Johnstone, as its football team still is). I felt there were gender issues in my singing this and also it was a good excuse to bully my wife Susie into the studio to watch her sweat behind the microphone instead of me. As Burns spent so much of his life following the plough I feel this song is quite an important one, yet it has rarely been recorded. “Commend me to the Ploughman” was nearly the title of the album.

Emily Smith and Jamie McClenan sang The Plooman on their 2009 album of songs of Robert Burns, Adoon Winding Nith. They noted:

Emily first learnt this song during her years in Glasgow. It was written/collected by Burns in 1788; we have been unable to find a clear source on the origination of the song. The story is a happy tale about a woman very much in love with her ploughman, and a dancing ploughman at that—impressive!

Lyrics

Susie and Jim Malcolm sing The Ploughman

The plooman he’s a bonny lad,
His mind is ever true, jo,
His garter’s knit below his knee
His bonnet it is blue, jo.

Chorus (after each verse):
Then up wi’ it a’ my plooman lad,
Hey my merry plooman,
Of a’ the trades that I do ken
Commend me tae the plooman.

The plooman he comes hame at e’en,
He’s often wet and weary,
Cast aff the wet, pit on the dry,
And gae tae bed my dearie.

And I will wash my plooman’s hose,
I will dress his o’erlay,
I will mak my plooman’s bed,
And cheer him late and early.

I hae been east, I hae been west,
I hae been at St Johnstone,
But the bonniest sight that e’er I saw,
Was the plooman laddie dancing.

Snaw-white stockings on his legs,
Silver buckles glancin’,
A guid blue bonnet on his heid,
And oh, but he was handsome.

Commend me tae the barnyaird,
And the corn mou’ man,
I never gast my cogie fu’,
Till I met wi the plooman.

Emily Smith sings The Plooman

The plooman he’s a bonnie lad,
His hairt is ever true, jo,
His garters knit below the knee
And his bonnet it is blue, jo.

Chorus (after each verse):
Then up wi it aa my plooman lad,
Hey my merry plooman,
O aa the trades that I dae ken
Commend me tae the plooman.

My plooman he comes hame at nicht,
He’s often wet and weary,
Tak aff the wet, put on the dry
And go to bed my dearie.

I will wash my plooman’s sark
And I will wash his o’erlay,
I will mak my plooman’s bed
And cheer him late and early.

I’ve been east and I’ve been west
And I’ve been at St Johnstone,
But the bonniest sicht that e’er I saw
Was my plooman laddie dancin.

Snaw white stockings on his legs
And siller buckles glancing,
A guid blue bonnet on his head
And oh but he was handsome.

Commend me tae the barn yard
And the corn mou man,
Oh I never got my coggie fou
Til I met wi my ploo man.