X:1
T:Nae Bonnie Laddie tae Tak' Me Awa'
F:http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
B:Sam Henry's Songs of the People, Huntington & Herrmann, 1990.
S:Pat Hackett of Stone Row, Coleraine, 1928.
Z:H230. Text collated with two others.
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:Dmix
D|DEF GAG|FDD D2
w:My name it is Jean and my age is fif-teen,
D|DEF GAB|dcB A2
w:My fa-ther's a far-mer, he leeves near the Green,
B/c/|ded cBA|GFE c2
w:He has mo-ney in plen-ty, that mak's me sae braw,
D/D/|DEF GAG|FDD D3|]
w:And there's no bon-nie lad-die tae tak' me a-wa'.
W:My name it is Jean and my age is fifteen,
W:My father's a farmer, he leeves near the Green,
W:He has money in plenty, that mak's me sae braw,
W:And there's no bonnie laddie tae tak' me awa'.
W:
W:When I rise in the morning my spirits is low,
W:The very first thing tae the taypot I go,
W:With my toes in the ashes I sit by the wa'
W:And sigh for a laddie tae tak' me awa'.
W:
W:My shoes they are made o' the 'lastic so strong,
W:That they are admired by both old and young,
W:A sixpence would cover my heels, they're so sma',
W:Yet there's nae bonnie laddie tae tak' me awa'.
W:
W:It's ten times a day I luk in the glass,
W:I think tae mysel' I'm a gye bonnie lass,
W:Wi' my hands on my hinches I gie a "Ha, ha!"
W:Saying, "Is there nae bonnie laddie tae tak' me awa'?"
W:
W:At church every Sunday I'm sure to be there,
W:But the clergy ne'er mentions in preachin' or prayer,
W:In preachin' or prayer there's nae word ava
W:Tae order young men tae tak' lasses awa'.
W:
W:Each evening at duskis I mak' mysel' clean,
W:Wi' ruffles an' ribbons as gay as a queen,
W:Wi' the finest hair cushions and curls sae braw,
W:Yet there's nae bonnie laddie tae tak' me awa'.
W:
W:And when I come hame then my mother does cry,
W:"For as braw as ye're dressed a' the lads pass ye by,
W:Ere I was your age I had lads twenty-twa,
W:But I think ne'er a laddie will tak' ye awa'."
W:
W:This speech o' my mother's it mak's me quite mad,
W:For tae think that I'm courted by never a lad,
W:Yet I hope the time's comin' when it will end a'
W:And some bonnie laddie will tak' me awa'.
W:
W:Then be not offended at what I hae said,
W:For it's but the language o' every young maid,
W:It's the wish o' a' wishes o' yin and o' a'
W:That some bonnie laddie will tak' them awa'.