Ewan MacColl — A Braw Wooer

[Verse 1] Last May a braw wooer cam down the lang glen And sair wi' his love he did deave me; I said there was naething I hated like men: The deuce gae wi 'm to believe me, believe me The deuce gae wi 'm to believe me [Verse 2] He spak o' the darts in my bonie black een And vow'd for my love he was diein; I said he might die when he liked for Jean: The Lord forgie me for liein, for liein The Lord forgie me for liein! [Verse 3] A weel-stocked mailen, himsel for the laird And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers: I never loot on that I ken'd it, or car'd But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers But thought I might hae waur offers [Verse 4] But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or less The deil tak his taste to gae near her! He up the lang loan to my black cousin Bess Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her, could bear her Guess ye how, the jad! could bear her [Verse 5] But a' the niest week I fretted wi' care I gaed to the tryste o' Dalgarnock And wha but my fine fickle lover was there I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock [Verse 6] But owre my left shoulder I gae him a blink Lest neibors might say I was saucy; My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink And vow'd I was his dear lassie, dear lassie And vow'd I was his dear lassie [Verse 7] I spier'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet Gin she had recover'd her hearin And how her new shoon fit her auld shachl't feet— But, heavens! how he fell a swearin, a swearin But, heavens! how he fell a swearin [Verse 8] He begg'd, for gudesake, I wad be his wife Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow: So e'en to preserve the poor body in life I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow I think I maun wed him to-morrow