Norman Kennedy Sings - Live from St Andrews Folk Club 1965

Here Norman sings The Laird o the Dainty Doun By learned from Jeannie Robertson the famed Aberdeen traditional singer. Jeannie was a neighbour and friend of Norman's in Aberdeen. The recording was made at the St Andrews Folk Club in the Star Hotel in 1964 when the singers from the Aberdeen Folk Club were the guests. 

1: A bonnie lass was milkin her faither's kye
A gentleman on horseback cam ridin by
A gentleman on horseback cam ridin by,
He’s the Laird o the Dainty Doonby.

2: “Hey bonnie lass an fit what wad ye dee
Gin I wis tae spend a nicht wi ye?”
“A nicht wi me that never will be
Though ye're Laird o the Dainty Doonby.”

3: But he’s keppit her by the middle sae sma,
And intae the lang grass he’s placed her doon
’Twas a lang, lang time e’er he let her up again,
The Laird o the Dainty Doonby.

4: Ae bonnie morn, and it was a bonnie day,
Her father for in some money had to pay,
Her father for in some money had to pay
Tae the Laird o the Dainty Doonby.

5: “Mornin”, says he, “And hoo dae ye do?
And hoo’s yer dochter Janet the noo?
And hoo's yer dochter Janet the noo?”
Says the Laird o the Dainty Doonby.

6: “Ma dochter Janet, she is no verra weel,
My dochter Janet she soors at her kail.
My dochter Janet she gey-like pale
Since ye laid her in the Dainty Doonby.”

7: Weel, he’s taen her be the lily-fite hand,
He showed her the rooms and there wis twenty-one.
He’s putten the keys oot intae her hand,
“Noo ye're Lady o the Dainty Doonby.”

8: “O,” says the auld man, “fit’ll I dae?”
“O,” says the auld wife, “I’ll dance till I dee.”
“Weel,” says the auld man, “I think I'll dae that tae
Since she's Lady o the Dainty Doonby.”

The song is in the second edition of David Herd - Scottish Songs and Ballads of 1776  (Vol II p231) under the title The Dainty Downby in 12 stanzas. (Roud 864).

See: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/thelairdofthedaintydoonby.html

Norman Kennedy - Dainty Dounby

Norman here sings  Lord Gregory - a superb rendition of the ballad in a recording made at the St Andrews Folk Club in the Star Hotel in 1964 when the singers from the Aberdeen Folk Club were the guests.

1: It’s of a King's daughter who strayed from Cappoquin
In search of Lord Gregory, pray God I'll find him.

2: The rain falls on me heavy locks, the dew chills my skin, 
The baby’s cold in my arms, love, “O Gregory let me in.”

3: “Lord Gregory is not here love, nor henceforth can he be seen 
For he's gone to bonny Scotland to bring home his new queen.”

4: “So leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it's deep in the sea, love, you should hide your downfall.”

5: “Do you remember, Lord Gregory, that night in Cappoquin?
When we changed rings upon our fingers and that against my will.”

6: “For yours was the pure gold, love, and mine was but black tin,
 For yours was worth ten guineas, love, but mine but one cent.”

7: “Do you remember, Lord Gregory, that night in my father's hall? 
When we exchanged pocket handkerchiefs and that was worst of all.”

8: “For yours was fine linen, love, and mine was coarse cloth, 
For yours was worth one guinea, love, and mine but a groat.”

9: But leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it’s deep in the sea, love, you should hide your downfall.”

The earliest version of this Scottish ballad was included in David Herd’s Scottish Songs of 1776 - in his manuscript as The Bonny Lass of Lochroyan. Norman’s version is likely to have come from Ireland - perhaps directly or otherwise from the version collected from Elizabeth Cronin in Co Clare by Alan Lomax in 1951.  
Roud 49; Child 746

Norman Kennedy - Lord Gregory

Here Norman sings She Was a Rum One learned from Jeannie Robertson the famed Aberdeen traditional singer.  Jeannie was a neighbour and friend of Norman's in Aberdeen. The recording was made at the St Andrews Folk Club in the Star Hotel in 1964 when the singers from the Aberdeen Folk Club were the guests. Jeannie had been a guest a year earlier and had sung the song then to great acclaim - so the audience already knew the song well and join in the chorus with enthusiasm.

1: As I strolled out one May mornin,
One May mornin right early,
It’s there I spied a pretty fair maid.
And she was a rum one
Fal-the-diddle-I-do-ay
But a bonny one
Fal-the-diddle-I-do

2: Now she walked up and she walked down
And I walked close behind her
And I asked of her the reason why
She could not stride no wider.

Chorius:
She was a rum one
Fal-the-diddle-I-do-ay
But a bonny one
Fal-the-diddle-I-do

3: Go away, go away, you foolish young man
Stop that foolish talking
For it little becomes young men like you
Tae pick up young ladies walking.

4: “O I am a docter tae my trade
My freends they call me rare O
If ye’ll tell me far your trouble lies
I'II see fit I can try O.”

5: “Well ma trouble lies between my thighs
And there it is abidin
It tickles me baith nicht and day
And it keeps me fae my stridin.

6: Noo she lay doun upon the bank
And I provided the plaister
When I raised up she cried tae me
“O never end it maister.”

7: Weel, she gied tae me my winter's keep
LIkewise my winter's fairin
But the best thing that she's gied tae me
Was the stablin for my stallion.

Norman Kennedy - She Was A Rum One

Norman Kennedy - Banks of the Sweet Primroses

Norman Kennedy - Waulkin Song at St Andrews

Springthyme is a record label dedicated to presenting Scotland's living tradition in song and music. Founded in 1974 by musician and singer Pete Shepheard, the label has introduced many fine singers, musicians to the world of recorded music. The very first album was recorded during the weekend traditional music festival held in Kinross in 1973 with musicians including Aly Bain and Tom Anderson and the Shetland Fiddlers and the first recording of ballad singer Stanley Robertson of Aberdeen. Other artistes on Springthyme include Jim Reid, The Foundry Bar Band, Ossian, Jock Duncan, Bill Black, Duncan Williamson, Lizzie Higgins, Jim Crawford, Tom Hughes, John Watt & Davey Stewart, Iain McLachlan and many more including a CD from Pete's own band Shepheard, Spiers & Watson. Springthyme has also issued recordings from their field recordings archive in cooperation with the Musical Traditions label.

Norman Kennedy - Waulkin Song at St Andrews

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