I Wish My Granny Saw Ye
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1962.27.B2
Original Tape ID
Summary
A comic song in which a naïve country lad goes to town [Glasgow?] and is duped into looking after a woman's baby, while she disappears. A crowd gathers and he is taken to the police station and then to court, where he is told to pay for a nurse for the child.
Willie Scott learned the song around 1907-09 from Charlie Scott of Hawick, who used to teach old songs to young men.
Item Notes
5 verses of 4 lines, except verse 4 with 6 lines; refrain of 2 lines.
See also 'Ye'll Find I've Seen my Granny' (NLS broadside L.C.Fol.70(74b)) in which the same character reappears, this time more worldy-wise.
See:
'Bothy Songs & Ballads' (J. Ord, 1930) pp. 395-396
Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Firth b.26(298) & Harding B 11(1674) (H. such, London, 1863-1885)
National Library of Scotland, Broadside Ballad collection, L.C.Fol.70(120a) (Poets' Box, Glasgow, 1880-1900)
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair