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Johnny Lad

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1953.243.A3e

Original Tape ID

SA1953.243

Summary

A nonsense street song collected in Glasgow [by A. L. Lloyd]:

In this comic or nonsense song we hear silly stories about various historical personages, including Samson, who "focht wi cuddies' jaws" [the jawbones of asses] and wore "crimson flannel drawers". Nineveh "scratched oot baith his eyes" then "scratched them in again". Napoleon ruled the land and sea, but not Polmadie. The Queen played football "wi the lads in Glasgow Green", but was a sore loser, and singling out the lead scorer of the other team, "clapped him in the jyle". The singer says that Johnny is the best lad, and she should know, having had twenty-nine before.

Item Notes

8 couplets with a refrain of 2 lines.

See:
'Scotland Sings' (E. MacColl, 1953) pp. 151-152
Ord pp. 168-169
'Singing Island' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1960) p. 10
'Ancient Ballads and Songs' vol. 2 (P. Buchan, 1828, 1875) pp. 146-147

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Edinburgh

Village/Place - Edinburgh

Language

English, Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R2587

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair