Rigs o Rye
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1952.02.A10 (A18)
Original Tape ID
Summary
The singer sees a young man and his sweetheart among the rigs of rye. The young man tells the girl that her father, mother and sisters are against their relationship, but she vows to disown them to go with him. He says his horse is too high for her to ride, the rivers too deep for her to wade, and the hills too high for her to climb, but she says she can and will ride, wade and climb. He says her tocher [dowry] is too small so she's not a fit match for him. She begins to weep and he takes his linen handkerchief, wipes away her tears, and says he was just testing her. It would be worse to part from her than to take a baby from its nurse. He takes her with him, they marry, have children and live in Brechin the winter through and in Montrose in the summer.
Willie Mathieson got the song from Sandy Ross [his second wife's grandfather] via his second wife.
Item Notes
Text and music transcribed in School of Scottish Studies. 12 verses. Also known as 'Two Rigs of Rye' and '('Twas in the Month of) Sweet July'.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, pp. 499-517
Ord pp. 31-32
Item Location
County - Angus
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good