Oor Jock's Watch
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1954.74.A2
Original Tape ID
Summary
A comic song in which Jock, a journeyman [someone who has newly completed an apprenticeship] is able to afford things he could never buy before. He decides to browse the watches on display in town, and finally buys one for a 'bargain' price of 19/- in the Sautie [The Saltmarket]. Convinced that his new watch is much more reliable than any clock around, he mistrusts his own kitchen clock when it strikes one o'clock in the morning. When he checks his new watch it reads six in the morning, and despite it still being dark outside, Jock is convinced that he must have slept in. Cursing himself, he throws on his clothes and leaves for work, in his arrogance still oblivious to his mistake.
Andrew Houston's father used to sing this song.
Item Notes
5 verses with a chorus of 4 lines; verses 1 to 4 have 12 lines, the last verse has only 8. This performance has additional lines compared to the original, which has 5 verses of 8 lines and a chorus of 4 lines.
'Oor Jock's Watch' written by James Kelly.
Although Mr Houston refers to the "Sautie" being in Edinburgh, the original text makes it clear that it is Glasgow's own Saltmarket that is intended.
See:
'The Printers' Carnival and Other Poems' (J. Kelly, 1875) p. 221
'Old Glasgow Street Songs etc, 1850' (The Mitchell Library, Scrapbook GC 398.5 GLA)
Item Location
County - Midlothian
Parish - Edinburgh
Village/Place - Edinburgh
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair