{"id":21497,"date":"2023-06-21T15:35:06","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T15:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=21497"},"modified":"2024-03-16T09:34:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T09:34:24","slug":"braes-of-killiecrankie-the-jeannie-robertson","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/braes-of-killiecrankie-the-jeannie-robertson\/","title":{"rendered":"Braes of Killiecrankie, The (Jeannie Robertson)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Killiecrankie<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1954<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>unknown \/ Harry Lauder<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN3363<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Jeannie Robertson<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Jeannie Robertson
Modern performances<\/strong>
Jim and Susie Malcolm<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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As transcribed by Steve Byrne (2010, p286)<\/strong>\n\nFor on a thistle I sat doon \nI nearly jumpit tae the moon,\nI nearly jumpit tae the moon, \nFor the lass that stole my hankie.\n\nO too-ral-oo-ral-oo-ral-ay,\nO fal-da-doodle-aye-do-ay,\nO fal-da-doodle-aye-do-ay,\nOn the braes of Killiecrankie<\/em>.\n\nFor Jean MacNeil she\u2019s fair an\u2019 fat, \nAn\u2019 she wears her hair below her hat;\nShe wears her hair below her hat \nOn the braes of Killiecrankie.\n\nFor her feet is big an\u2019 her face is flat, \nAn\u2019 her curly locks hang doun her back;\nHer curly locks hang doun her back \nOn the braes of Killiecrankie.\n\nFor Jean she began tae curse, \nHer bloomers fell doun an\u2019 her stays did burst,\nShe gied her aul \u2019erse a twust \nAn she caa\u2019d it through a windae.\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
This  song collected by Hamish Henderson in 1954 from the  singing of the great  Scottish traveller singer Jeannie Robertson. In his excellent chapter about Hamish Henderson, Riches in the Kist<\/em>, the folklorist Steve Byrne demonstrates that Robertson’s song seems to be constructed, at least in part, from fragments of two Harry Lauder songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verse 1 comes from this fragment of Lauder’s (The Lass o’) Killiecrankie<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, I was kilted to the knee, 'Jock, my dear,' she said to me\n'We'll sit down two hours or three,' said I, 'My darling, thank ye.'\nBut very soon I changed my tune, for on a thistle I sat doon\nAnd I nearly jumped up to the moon on the hills o' Killiecrankie.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Verse 2 from this fragment of Lauder’s Jean M\u2019Neil<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jean is fair an' Jean is fat - \nFal th' doodle I do!\nShe wears her hair below her hat - \nFal th' doodle I do!\nAh meet her every nicht, I do!\nAnd kiss her on the the kisser too!.\nI wish that my lassie was here the noo - \nFal th' doodle I do!<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Steve Byrne points out that finding snatches of Lauder songs in traditional singing is not unusual occurrence\u2026 Belle Stewart’s repertoire contained the Harry Lauder piece “Piper MacFarlane” long misidentified as “The bonnie wee lass frae Gourock<\/em>“(p287). It’s important to  stress, as Byrne does, that it is relatively easy for a 21st century researcher to find instances where songs thought to have been passed down in a purely oral way in fact have their origins elsewhere. Music Hall songs form a small but significant part of the Scottish traveller repertoire, and any full appreciation of their legacy would have to take this into account. for other examples of the influence of the Halls on Scots Traveller repertoire see my notes on the  Harry Linn song Cumarachandhu<\/a><\/em> and the article written by Chris Wright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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You can hear Jeannie Robertson sing it at Tobar an Dualchais \/ Kist o Riches<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n