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The Rigs o Rye

Date 01 June 1968
Track ID 34075
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1968.303.A6

Original Tape ID

SA1968.303

Summary

In this lover's 'test' or 'trick' song, two lovers are heard in a rye field speaking about their relationship. The lad says he must go away, but needs to talk to her beforehand [presumably to convince her to go with him]. He says her parents take good care of her, but her sisters say she will not get any share [inheritance] if she goes with him, a stranger. She disowns her family, saying she would go with him nonetheless. He dries her tears, proclaiming that he had said such things to test her love. They go off on the road together, and get married. They have two children, and live in Brechin during winter, and in Montrose in summer.

Item Notes

7 verses, with guitar accompaniment. This is a fairly standard 'Folk Revival' version of this well-known song.

Broadside version published at Poet's Box, Overgate, Dundee c. 1880-1900. In National Library of Scotland broadsides collection, [[http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/16417]] (accessed 7 January 2009).

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, pp. 499-517, no. 1054

Recording Location

County - Inverness-shire

Parish - Portree

Island - Skye

Village/Place - Braes

Item Location

County - Angus

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R985 GD1054 LO11

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good