Glasgow Green
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1952.01.A7
Original Tape ID
Summary
A man meets a lass by the Clyde while she is bleaching clothes. Paying her many compliments, he asks her to take a trip with him to Aberdeen. She says she cannot leave her mason lad, with whom she is very much in love. The man says she cannot trust a roving mason, as one day he will go off with another. She consents to go to Aberdeen, they spend the day together, and she soon forgets her mason lad.
Item Notes
Text and music transcribed in the School of Scottish Studies. 5 verses, truncated. Tune is uncertain as it is chanted in places rather than sung. Parts of the melody resemble the common melody for 'The Birken Tree', Greig-Duncan no. 802 version A (from Margaret Gillespie). Interestingly, Greig-Duncan says 'The Birken Tree' is "to the tune of Bonny Glasgow Green from the same singer". Version B of 'Glasgow Green' by Margaret Gillespie also shares verses with 'The Birken Tree'.
Thought to have been learned by Willie Mathieson at Drakemire farm when he was in his teens.
See:
('Glasgow Green')
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, pp. 127-131, no. 1130
Ord pp. 121-122
('The Birken Tree')
Greig-Duncan vol. 4, pp. 191-192, no. 802
Ord pp. 100-101, 'Johnnie's Got His Jean O'
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Ellon
Village/Place - Ellon
Item Location
County - Lanarkshire
Parish - Glasgow
Village/Place - Glasgow
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good