The Banks o Red Roses
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1953.247.B6
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this song, a young woman meets her lover by "the banks of red roses", where he plays her a tune on his tunebox; she later begs him not to leave her.
Jeannie Robertson first heard this song sung by old people when she was very young.
Item Notes
Three verses of four lines. Though not explicit in this version, the song usually continues with either the seduction and abandonment of the young woman by the man, or her murder and burial.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 7, no. 1444
'The Scots Musical Museum' vol. 1 (J. Johnson & R. Burns, 1853) p. 8, no. 7
'Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 222-223
'Till Doomsday in the Afternoon' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1986) pp. 230-231
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Aberdeen
Village/Place - Aberdeen
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair