Sleepytoon

On Springthyme SPRCD 1039
Jock Duncan - Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan!

This bothy ballad is said to have been composed by Willie Clark, 'poet Clark' a farm servant on the farm of Sleepytoon near Kennethmont south of Huntly, probably around 1870. Through his Buchan Observer articles Gavin Greig managed to get a number of versions of the song, some with many more verses that others, and no doubt various singers added verses (GD 356).

Brian McNeill - bouzouki; Gordon Duncan - whistle

1: It happened at last Witsunday, I tired o ma place, And I gaed up tae Inch tae fee, Ma fortune for tae chase. An sing airy arity adie O, Sing airy arity ann. 2: I met in wi Adam Mitchell, Tae fee we did presume, He's a fairmer in Kennethmont, An he bides at Sleepytoon. 3: "If you and I agree," he said, "Ye'll hae the fairest play, For I niver bid my servants work, Above ten hours a day." 4: "If aa be true ye tell tae me, I think the place will suit, Guid fegs! I think I'll gang wi ye, But ye're an ugly brute." 5: 'Twas on a Monday mornin I gaed hame tae Sleepytoon, An he ranked us in gweed order, For tae lay his turnips doun. 6: I wis sent tae caw the dung, [i.e. neighbour Likewise ma neiper Knowles, But then the rain it did come on, And the orders cam tae lowse. [i.e. to stop work 7: The rain it did ding on the worse, [rained in torrents The sun was at the mill, "For meal," Adam Mitchell said, "Oor bellies for tae fill." 8: The rain it soon went over, And the day began tae break, And oor neist orders wis tae scrape Oor denners fae the secks. [i.e. scrape the sacks for dinner 9: "We'll ne'er refuse what you command, What e'er ye bid us do, But tae eat the scrapins o the secks Is a thing we'll never do." 10: "Oh ye daur refuse your order, Oh the scoundrels that ye are, But ye bargained for ten hours a day, Refuse them if ye daur. [i.e. if you dare 11: The orders wis tae bed at nine, And never leave the toun, And for every time we left it We wis fined half-a-croun. 12: Knowles wis fined mony's a time, But never lost the hert, And I masel wis fined a pound For turnin up a cairt. 13: But we niver heeded Adam, And aye we took the pass, Sometimes tae buy tobacca, Sometimes tae see a lass. 14: But noo Mairtinmas term is come at last, Oor fee is safely won, And we'll awa tae Rhynie Fair, And there we'll hae some fun. 15: Fan we are ower in Alford, boys, We'll gar the glass ging roun, An we'll tell them aa the usage That we had at Sleepytoon. 16: I still see Auld Adam yet, Suppin his dish o brose, I think I'll send him a hankie Just tae dicht his snuffy nose. An sing airy arity adie O, Sing airy arity ann.