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Bargain With Me

Contributors
Date 1964
Track ID 39447
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1964.160.A6

Original Tape ID

SA1964.160

Summary

In this song, Billy bargains with a woman for his service. After they agree on his wages, he asks where he will sleep. The woman suggests he sleep beside the chap, but, says Billy, "he'll poke". Neither will he sleep beside the maid, "for shame". The woman proposes that he sleep with her instead. He asks about her husband, who she says has been dead and buried for seven years. [Billy agrees to marry her].

Item Notes

Recorded at Sandy Bell's, Forest Road, Edinburgh. 9 verses of 4 lines sung by company, with spoken line between verses. Cf. 'Tam Buie' ('Tam Bo') and 'Magherafelt Hiring Fair'.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 7, pp. 274-276 (no. 1424)
'Folksongs of Britain & Ireland' (P. Kennedy, 1975) p. 450
'Sam Henry's Songs of the People' (G. Huntington, 1990) p. 263
'Ancient Ballads and Songs' vol. 2 (P. Buchan, 1828) pp. 241-245

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Edinburgh

Village/Place - Edinburgh

Language

English

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R366 GD1424

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair