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The Ride in the Creel
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The Keek in the Creel
The Keach in the Creel / The Ride in the Creel / The Wee Toun Clerk
[
Roud 120
; Child 281
; G/D 2:317
; Henry H201
; Ballad Index C281
; The Keach i the Creel at Fire Draw Near
; DT KEACHCRL
; Mudcat 790
, 158199
; trad.]
Michael Gallagher of Beleek, Co. Fermanagh sang The Keach in the Creel to Peter Kennedy and Sean O’Boyle on 20 July 1953. This BBC recording was included on the anthology The Child Ballads 2 (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 5; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968).
Jim Nixon sang The Keach in the Creel at the Crown and Thistle, Rockcliffe, or at the Plough Inn, Wreay, Cumberland, in August to October 1953. This recording was included in 1982 on the Reynard Records album Pass the Jug Round.
Jimmy McBeath of Elgin, Banffshire, sang The Keach in the Creel in a Hamish Henderson recording on the anthology The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition Volume 5; Tangent 1975; Greentrax 1992).
Ewan MacColl sang The Keach in the Creel in 1951 on Topic’s 78 rpm record TRC46. This track was also included in 1954 on Topic’s first 12" album. He recorded it again in 1956 for his and A.L. Lloyd’s Riverside anthology The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume II. Like most of his tracks from this series it was reissued in 2009 on his Topic anthology Ballads: Murder·Intrigue·Love·Discord. Kenneth S. Goldstein noted on the Riverside album:
This delightful piece of ribaldry deserves to be better known. It is a recent ballad when compared to the antiquity of some of Child’s ballads, and does not appear to have been known in Britain before the first half of the 19th century. The ballad tale, however, is considerably older and was the subject to various 13th and 14th century fabliaux.
It was known in England in the last half of the 19th century, but has not been reported there from tradition in this century. In Scotland, it has continued to be popular, and Greig and Keith [Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs] reported twelve texts collected in the first quarter of the 20th century. Extremely rare in the United Stated, only a single complete text has been collected (in the Catskill Mountains of New York State). MacColl’s version was learned from the singing of Jimmy McBeath of Elgin.
Ewan MacColl also sang The Keach in the Creel in 1961 on his Folkways album Bothy Ballads of Scotland where he noted:
The first printed version of this ballad did not appear until early in the nineteenth century although the theme has been part of European literature since the middle ages. Professor Child concludes his notes on the ballad with a peculiarly prim comment: “No one looks for decorum in pieces of this description but a passage in this ballad, which need not be particularised, is brutal and shameless almost beyond description.”
These are harsh words for a scholar whose stock-in-trade was stories dealing with mayhem in all its forms and it is difficult to imagine what prompted them. It is, of course, possible that Child was shocked by the use of the word ‘keach’ on which considerable play is made in the song. Used as a noun the word denotes bustle or fluster, when used as a verb, however, it can mean ‘lift’ or ‘hoist’ or alternatively it can mean to void excrement.
The ballad is widespread throughout N.E. Scotland and was a favourite in the bothies where it was generally known as The Wee Toon Clerk.
Learned from the singing of Jimmy McBeath of Elgin.
Jean Redpath sang Wee Toon Clerk in 1962 on her Elektra album Scottish Ballad Book. She noted:
“A thoroughly debased and dingy affair” was one writer’s rather prudish dismissal of this delightful piece of ribaldry! The prototype of the story included in Child as The Keach in the Creel appeared in French jest books of the 13th century. Although the ballad form was not discovered in Britain until the 19th century, its great popularity would indicate much greater antiquity. Unreported from oral tradition in England this century, the ballad continues to be widespread throughout Scotland, particularly popular in the North East, where it is generally known under the title used here. Only one complete text has been recovered in the U S.A. (Catskills), yet I find American audiences as susceptible to this situation comedy—almost Chaucerian in its humour—as any in Scotland, despite the language difficulties.
Alec Foster of Belfast sang The Creel to Hugh Shields on 13 October 1968. This recording was included in 1975 on the Leader album Folk Ballads From Donegal and Derry.
Larry Mulligan sang The Creel to Breandán Breathnach at Enaghan, Moyne, Co Longford, in about 1969. This recording was included in 1985 on the Folk Music Society of Ireland anthology Early Ballads in Ireland 1968-1985, reissued on CD in 2015 by An Goílín.
Tom Gilfellon sang The Keech i’ the Kreel in 1972 on his Trailer album Loving Mad Tom. He noted:
This versified joke has been going the rounds for a good while now. Chaucer obviously knew it and elaborated on the basic story in his Miller’s tale. The practice of ‘night visiting’ was very common in rural communities in years gone by. The thought of getting a daughter married and off their hands must often have been uppermost in the minds of parents lying listening to the struggles of the lovers breaking the silence of the darkened house.
Packie Manus Byrne sang The Creel in a recording made by Tony Engle and Mike Yates in London in 1974. It was released in 1977 on his Topic album Songs of a Donegal Man. Mike Yates noted:
The Keach in the Creel, to use its full title, was known in 14th-century France as Du Chevalier à la Corbeille and belongs to that class of balladry so beloved by Boccaccio and Chaucer. Sadly, Professor Child couldn’t see the joke. “No one looks for decorum in pieces of this description”, he wrote, adding that “a passage … is brutal and shameless almost beyond example.” In Scotland the tale is known as The Wee Toon Clerk and during the last 20 or so years the School of Scottish Studies have collected several good versions. The ballad was no doubt taken to Northern Ireland by Scottish settlers, and a version from County Fermanagh appears in the album The Child Ballads 2. Packie had his version from Jim Doody, a farm labourer who worked around Corkermore some 40 years ago.
The Bothy Band sang Pretty Peg in 1975 on their eponymous first Mulligan album The Bothy Band.
Martin Carthy sang The Ride in the Creel on his and Dave Swarbrick’s 1992 album Skin and Bone. They also played this as The Keesh and the Creel on their 1992 video 100 Not Out. Martin Carthy noted on the original album:
Francis James Child wrote in his notes to The Ride in the Creel, “no-one looks for decorum in pieces of this sort, but a passage in this ballad, which need not be particularised, is brutal and shameless almost beyond example.” He didn’t relish the prospect of nosy parents being treated with such a lack of respect. Noses put well out of joint—and a few other things beside.
The Keek in the Creel is also on Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr’s 1995 album Shape of Scape and on their 2002 compilation On Reflection. Eliza Carthy noted:
The Keek (or Ride) in the Creel comes from the delicious Packie Manus Byrne and the almost as delicious Paul Brady.
Duncan Williamson of Ladybank, Fife, sang The Creel in a recording made by Mike Yates in 2001. Yates included it in 2006 in his EFDSS book and CD of songs of English and Scottish travellers and gypsies, Traveller’s Joy.
Jon Loomes sang The Ride in the Creel in 2005 on his Fellside CD Fearful Symmetry. Later he joined Pilgrims’ Way who recorded this song with Lucy Wright singing for their 2016 Fellside CD Red Diesel. Loomes noted:
Here we observe the correct method for obtaining access to the charming Natalie who lives with her doting but insomniac parents. Rope, a ladder and some sort of basket may be easily obtained from any hardware store or fetish shop. In the event of a emergency, get an accomplice to frighten the living daylights out of the strumpet’s fragile old mother.
and in Pilgrims’ Way’s notes:
A Playford tune [Mount Hills] dovetails with a story of parents, sex, and window cleaning equipment, in an eerie foreshadowing of 1970s British erotica.
Dan Quinn sang The Creel in 2008 on The Mighty Quinn’s album Thicker Than Water. They noted:
The Creel or The Ride in the Creel or The Keech in the Creel is based on a performance by Jim Nixon to be heard on the Veteran CD Pass the Jug Round. There’s a bit of Packie Byrne in there somewhere as well. There are some Scottish versions of this in which several verses are taken up by intricate descriptions of pulley systems. Life’s too short!
The Spiers Family sang The Wee Toon Clerk on their ca 2012 album Plenty Brass and a Bonny Lass. They noted:
Almost everyone in North East Scotland knows the ‘Ricky Doo Dum Day’ chorus to this song. Emma [Spiers] particularly likes this one due to the story line of the young girl outwitting her parents to have a liaison with her boyfriend.
This video shows the Spiers Family singing The Wee Toon Clerk at the Swindon Folksingers Club on 10 March 2013:
Gordeanna McCulloch sang The Wee Toun Clerk at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2007. This recording was included a year later on the festival anthology Nick-Knack on the Waa (Old Songs & Bothy Ballads Volume 4) which got its title from a phrase in this song. The liner notes commented:
This old ballad is still to be found in the repertoire of Scottish traditional singers and was a favourite in the bothies. Gordeanna has had the song since her early days with The Clutha. The first printed version did not appear until early in the nineteenth century although the theme has been part of European literature since the middle ages. It is included in Francis J Child’s The English and Scottish Popular Ballads under the title The Keach in the Creel.
David Carroll and Friends sang the The Keach in the Creel in 2024 as a bonus track of their Talking Elephant CD Bold Reynold Too. He noted:
This version of the Scottish Wee Toon Clerk was probably taken to Northern Ireland by Scottish Settlers, although its origins can be traced back to 14th century France and Du Chevalier a la Corbeille. The title translates as The Catch in the Basket. We finish with my favourite slip jig, An Phis Fliuch.
Lyrics
Ewan MacColl sings The Keach in the Creel
O, a fair young maid went up the street
Some fresh fish for to buy
And a bonnie clerk’s fall’n in love wi’ her
And followed her by and by,
Chorus (after each verse):
Ricky doo dum da, doo dum da,
Ricky dicky doo dum day.
“O whaur live ye, my bonnie lass,
I pray ye tell to me?
And though the nicht were never sae mirk
I would try and win in to thee.”
“My Faither he aye locks the door
And my mither keeps the key.
And though the nicht were never sae mirk,
Ye could na win in tae me.”
Now the clerk he had a true brother
And a wily wicht was he,
And he has made a lang ladder
Wi’ thirty steps and three.
He has made a pin but and a creel,
A creel but and a pin,
And he has gane to the chimley-top
To let’n the bonnie clerk in.
Now, the old wife she lay wide awake
Though late, late was the hour,
“ I’ll lay my life,” quo’ the silly old wife,
“There’s a man in our dochter’s bower.”
The old man he gat oot o’ the bed
To see gin the thing was true,
She’s ta’en the bonnie clerk in her airms
And covered him ower wi’ blue.
“What are ye daeing, my ain dochter,
What are ye daeing, my doo?”
“I’m praying on the muckle book
For my silly old mammie and you.”
“Pray on, pray on, my ain dochter,
And see that ye dae it richt,
For atween you and your auld mither
I hanna aince gotten my rest.”
“O, wife, O wife, ye silly old wife,
An ill deith may ye dee.
She’s gotten the muckle book in her airms
And she’s praying for you and me.”
The old wife she lay wide awake,
No’ anither word was said,
“I’l l lay my life,” said the silly old wife,
“There’s a man in our dochter’s bed.”
“Get up, get up, my old guid man,
And see if the thing be true.”
“Get up yoursel’, you silly old wife,
I’ll no be fashed wi’ you.
“Get up yoursel’, you silly old wife
And may the deil tak’ ye,
For atween you and your ae dochter,
I hanna aince blinkit an ee.”
The old wife she gat ower the bed
To see gin the thing be true,
But she slippit her foot and fell into the creel
And up the tow he drew.
The man that was at the chimley-top,
Finding the creel was fu’,
He wrappit the rope his shouther roond
And up the tow he drew.
“O help me noo, my auld good man,
O help me noo, my doo.
For he that ye wished me wi’ this nicht,
I fear he’s gotten me noo.”
“Gin he has got ye, I wish he may haud ye,
I wish he may haud ye fast,
For atween you and your ae dochter,
1 hanna aince gotten my rest.”
O, hey the blue and the bonnie bonnie blue,
And I wish the blue richt weel,
And for ilka old wife that wakes at nicht,
May she get a guid keach in the creel!
The Bothy Band sing Pretty Peg
When pretty Peg went down the street
Some fresh fish for to buy,
But the wee town clerk followed after her
And he kissed her by and by.
Chorus (after each verse):
With my tiddy-right-fol-da-liddle-dido
With my tiddy-right-fol-da-liddle-day
“Oh how can I get to your chamber, love?
Or how can I get to your bed?
When your daddy goes to bed at night
With a keen eye on his head?”
“Oh go and get the ladder, love,
With thirty steps and three
And put it to the chimney top
And come down in a creel to me.”
“I went and got a ladder, love,
With thirty steps and three,
And a creel on the top of that,
And come down in the lum to thee.”
No peace nor ease could the old wife get
With dreams running through her head.
“I’ll lay on my life,” said the gay old wife,
“There’s a boy in my daughter’s bed.”
Then up the stairs the old man crept
And into the room did steal.
Silence reigned where the daughter slept
And he never twigged the creel.
“My curse attend you, father,
What brought you up so soon?
To put me through my evening prayers
And I just lying down?“
He went back to his gay old wife,
He went back to she.
“She has the prayer book in her hand
And she’s praying for you and me.”
No peace nor ease could that old wife get
’Til she would rise and see,
She came on a stumbling-block
And into the creel went she.
“Oh high I rocked her, low I rocked her
Didn’t I rock her well?
For if any old wife begrudge me her daughter
I’ll rock her into hell.”
Martin Carthy sings The Ride in the Creel
Young girl’s down to the market,
Fresh fish for to buy;
Her young squire he followed her down
That night with her be nigh,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
“Oh how can I get in your chamber love?
Tell me how could I get in your bed?
When your father he locks your door at night
The keys lie under his head.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus:
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
“Go get you a ladder thirty foot,
Thirty foot and three,
And you climb up to the chimney top
Come down in the creel to me.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Now this young fellow he had two brothers,
Brothers bold were they,
And the three of them got them a long long ladder,
It was thirty foot and three,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Yes they got them a ladder was thirty foot,
It was thirty foot and three,
And the three of them climbed to the chimney top
And down in the creel came he,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
Now the old couple woke in the middle of the night
With something that was said,
“Oh I swear to my life,” says the old, old wife,
“There’s a man in my daughter’s bed.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
So the old fellow rose in the middle of the night
For to see if it was true,
And she grabbed her darling round his neck
And under the cover he flew,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
“Oh what do you do my daughter dear?
Oh daughter tell me do.”
“Oh I’m here with a bible in my hand,
I’m praying for just you two.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
No sleep, no sleep could the old couple get
For the thoughts that run in their head,
“Oh I swear to my life,” says the old old wife,
“There’s a man in my daughter’s bed.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
“Oh get up get up you silly old fool,
Go and see if it be true!”
“You’re a fool yourself, you can get up yourself
And the devil may go with you!”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
So the two of them rose in the middle of the night
And up to the roof went they,
But they tripped up on the chimney pot
And into the creel fell they,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
Now the boys they were up at the chimney top
And they thought the creel was full,
So they put their shoulders to the rope
And up the creel they drew,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
“Oh help help husband dear,
Oh husband help me do!
For the devil that you have wished me to
I fear he’s got me now.”
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
And then they rocked them up and they rocked them down,
They give them the good down-haul,
Till every bone in their two sides
Went tolly-rigadoo down the hall,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
Oh the broom the bonny broom
And may the broom do well,
And may every old couple who do do so
Go rock in the creel to hell,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Chorus
Gordeanna McCulloch sings The Wee Toun Clerk
As Maisry she gaed up the street,
The white fish for tae buy;
The wee toun clerk he heard of it,
An he’s followed her on the fly.
Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Ellie ellie ridum, didum daddie,
Ellie ellie ridum dee;
O ellie ellie ridum, didum daddie
Fal the ral the diddle I dee.
Says he, “I’m bound for Glesga toun,
And it’s hoping ye’ll gyang wi me;
I’ll meet ye the nicht by the licht o the moon,
An syne we’ll mairrit be.”
Says she, “Ma faither locks the door,
An ma mither keeps the key;
An gin there were e’er sae willin a lass,
I couldna win oot tae ye.”
But says he, “I’ll mak a ladder lang,
An a creel o basketry;
An wi a rope fae the chimley top,
I’ll lower the creel tae ye.”
Noo the auld wife couldna sleep that nicht,
Though late it was the oor;
“I’ll lay ma life,” quo the silly auld wife,
“There’s a man in oor dochter’s bower.”
Sae the auld wife she gaed oot o the bed,
Tae speir for her ain sel;
But fit a lark when she trippit on the rope,
And intae the creel she fell.
Noo the wee toun clerk at the chimley top,
When he fund that the creel wis fu;
He’s wrapped the rope his elbow roun,
And fast the tow he drew.
He’s heist her up an he’s drapped her doun,
An he’s let the creel doun fa;
Till ilka rib in the auld wife’s back,
Played nick-knack on the waa.
Last chorus:
Played nick-knack, nick-knack on the waa,
An it served the job richt weel
May ilka silly speirin auldwife,
Be rockit in the same auld creel.
The Spiers Family sings The Wee Toon Clerk
Mysie she went up the street
Some fresh fish for tae buy,
An the wee toon clerk he heard her feet
An he’s followed her on the sly.
Chorus (after each verse):
Ricky doo dum day doo dum day
Ricky dicky doo dum day
“Whit wye will I get to your bed my love?
Whit wye will I get to your bed?”
“My mither she locks the door at nicht
An the key lies under her head.”
“If ye get a ladder, a lang, lang ladder,
Some sixty steps an three,
An wi a lang rope tae the chimney-top
And ye’ll come in a creel tae me.”
Noo he’s got a ladder, a lang lang ladder,
Some sixty steps an three,
An wi a lang rope to the chimney-top
An he’s come in a creel to me.
Nae peace nor rest could the aul wife get,
Strange things cam in her heid.
“I’ll wager my life,” says the silly aul wife,
“There’s a man in my dochter’s bed.”
The auld man rose pit on his clothes
To see if this was true,
But she caught up the Bible in her hand
And in the curtains drew.
“Oh faither dear oh faither dear,
What brings ye here sae late?
Disturbin’ me in ma evenin prayers
An o but they were sweet.”
“Ye silly aul wife, ye lying aul wife,
An an ill death may ye dee.
When your dochter’s lyin in her bed
An she’s prayin for you an me.”
So the aul wife rose, pit on her clothes,
To see if this was true.
But she caught her fit in the tummlin-block
And in the creel she flew.
Them aa was at the chimney-top,
Thocht this was naethin new,
But they thocht it was the wee toon clerk
So up the creel they drew.
But when they saw it was the aul wife
They let the creel doon faas,
An every rib o the aul wife’s back
Played nick-nack on the waa.
It’s o the blue, the bonnie bonnie blue,
The blue that I lo’ed weel.
Let ilka aul wife that’s jealous o her dochter
Be rockit in the same aul creel.
Acknowledgements
Transcribed from the singing of Martin Carthy by Garry Gillard.