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Ding Dong The Catholic Bells/Poor Gracie is Dead

Date 07 March 1980
Track ID 38353
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1980.57.B7c; SA1980.57.B7d

Original Tape ID

SA1980.057

Summary

Two children's songs dating from the time of the plague:

(i)

Ding dong, the Catholic bells,
Mary is my mother,
Carry me over to the old churchyard
Beside my elder brother.

My coffin shall be black,
Six angels aroon my back,
Two tae watch an two tae pray
And two for tae carry my soul away.


(ii)

Poor Gracie is deid and she lies in her grave,
Lies in her grave, lies in her grave,
Poor Gracie is deid and she lies in her grave,
Lies in her grave.

They planted an aipple tree over her head,
Over her head, over her head
They planted an aipple tree over her head,
Over her head.

Item Notes

2 songs, each with 2 verses of 4 lines.

Sung by children playing with balls or skipping ropes. Stanley Robertson observes that this song always used to go along with the previous one on the same tape (SA1980.57).

For 'Ding Dong, The Catholic Bells', see:

'Games a Bogie' (M. Sinclair, 1989) p. 16
'Scottish Studies' 6 (H. Henderson, 1962) pp. 223-228
'Doh Ray Me, When Ah Wis Wee' (E. McVicar, 2007) p. 216
'Golden City' (J.T. Ritchie, 1965) p. 117, pp. 124-125, 173
'Doh Ray Me, When Ah Wis Wee' (E. McVicar, 2007) pp. 215-216
'Children's Games with Things' (P. & I. Opie, 1997) pp. 268-288
'The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren' (P. & I. Opie, 1959) p. 54
'Alias MacAlias' (H. Henderson, A. Finlay, 2004 reprint) pp. 110-114

For 'Poor Gracie is Dead', see:

Greig-Duncan vol. 8, p. 152
'Golden City' (J.T. Ritchie, 1965) pp. 158-160
'The Singing Game' (P. & I. Opie, 1985) pp. 250-253

See also:
Song notes (by Julia C. Bishop) - 'Rum Scum Scoosh!' EICD003 (Stanley Robertson, 2006) pp. 26-27

Language

English, Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R12943 R797 GD1596

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good