Jock Tamson's Tripe

Original Track ID

SA1971.196.5

Original Tape ID

SA1971.196

Summary

In this comic song, Jock Tamson, having recently started earning money, decides to have tripe for his supper instead of brose and butter. One night, his mother, who dotes on him, has some mutches [linen head coverings] to wash, and she decides to bleach them in the same vessel that Jock gets his tripe in. Jock comes home drunk late that night and decides to have some tripe to quell the effects of the alcohol. He scrambles around in the dark, and eventually finds the can, which still has mutches in it. Trying to eat one, he finds it very tough, like gutta-percha, but tears it apart regardless and swallows part of it. He begins to choke and his mother runs to fetch the doctor, who gives him something to make him vomit. Jock expels the bright white mutch onto the floor.

Item Notes

8 verses with a chorus after each. Performed live in concert at the Scott Conference, held as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Sir Walter Scott's birth.

This appears as a broadside in the National Library of Scotland, printed around 1880-1900, shelfmark L.C.Fol.70(115a). Jimmy MacBeath sings 8 of the 11 verses printed on the broadside. The tune of the verse has some similarity to the chorus melody of 'Bonnie Dundee'.

Gutta-percha is a material used to make golf balls.

See also:
Greig-Duncan, vol. 2, pp. 350-354, no. 286

Recording Location

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R5835 GD286

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good