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Woo’d and Married and A’

[ Roud 7159 ; G/D 7:1370 ; Ballad Index GrD71370 ; Alexander Ross]

David Herd: Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc., Second Volume

The Ian Campbell Folk Group sang Wooed and Married in 1968 on their Transatlantic album The Circle Game.

Andrew Poleson of Whalsay, Shetland, played the tune of Wooed and Married and Aa to Peter Cooke in 1977 (School of Scottish Studies SA1977.104.14). This track was included in 2008 on the Greentrax anthology of songs, tunes and customs, Wooed and Married and Aa (Scottish Tradition 23).

Jock Tamson’s Bairns sang Woo’d and Married and A’ in 2001 on their Greentrax album May You Never Lack a Stone. They noted:

We make no aplogies for this romp through the Scots kailyard, written by Alexander Ross of Lochlee. Published in Herd’s 1776 edition, and earlier in Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum.

Lyrics

Jock Tamson’s Bairns sing Woo’d and Married and A’

The bride cam’ oot o’ the byre and, O, she dichted her cheeks,
Sirs, I’m to be married the nicht and hae’ neither blankets nor sheets.
Hae neither blankets nor sheets, nor scarce a coverlet too,
The bride has a’ tae borrow, has e’en rieht muckle ado.

Chorus (after each verse):
Woo’d and married and a’, married and woo’d and a,
And wasna’ she very weel aff that was woo’d and married and a.

Out spake the bride’s father, as he cam’ in frae the pleugh,
O, haud yir tongue my dochter and ye’se get gear enough,
The stirk it stands i’ the tether and our bra’ bawsant yade
Will carry ye hame at the corn—what wad ye be at, ye jade?

Out spake the bride’s mither, what deil needs a’ this pride?
I had nae a plack in my pouch that nicht that I was a bride,
My gown was linsy-woolsy and ne’er a sark ava,
And ye ha’e ribbons and buskins mair than ane or twa.

What’s the matter, quo’ Willie, though we are scant o’ claes,
We’ll creep the closer thegither and we’ll smoor a’ the fleas,
Simmer is coming on and we’ll get taits o’ woo’,
And we’ll get a lass o’ our ain and she’ll spin clothes anew.

Out spake the bride’s brither as he cam’ in wi’ the kye,
Willie wad ne’er hae ta’en ye, had he kent ye as I,
For ye’re baith proud and saucy and no for a poor man’s wife,
Gin I canna get better, Tse ne’er tak ane i’ my life.

Out spake the bride’s sister, as she cam’ in frae the byre,
Gin I were married it’s a’ that I desire,
But we poor folk maun live single and do the best we can,
I dinna care what I should want, if I could but get a man.