Andra and the Deil
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1982.185
Original Tape ID
Summary
Comic verse in which Andra is on the way home from the pub when he meets the Devil on the road. The Devil promises to grant him one wish if he first declares himself subject to Satan. Andra agrees, and wishes for a fine singing voice which he can show off at a concert in Dunbar. While driving to the concert, Andra crashes his car and is killed, his soul being condemned to Hell. His poor singing voice proves too much for the Devil and his minions, and Andra is cast out of Hell and elevated to Heaven. The narrator remarks that those with a bad singing voice need only sing to escape Hell, while those who sing sweetly will lament there.
Item Notes
Andrew Douglas's own composition. On tape SA1977.125 he explains that the poem was partly inspired by his own experience of having had a nice singing voice as a young boy, only for it to break and sound unpleasant. The narrative incorporates the common folk theme of a Devil's promise, which he once cited as an example during a creative writing course; a friend joked that perhaps such a bargain was the reason for his losing his voice.
Item Subject/Person
Douglas, Andrew
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good