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The Broon Cloak

Date January 1952
Track ID 16723
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1952.08.B2 (B13)

Original Tape ID

SA1952.008

Summary

In this love song, the singer compares the kindness and truth of his sweetheart in her plain brown cloak with the cold hearts of ladies in rich and gaudy attire. His grandmother has warned him to beware of young women, but he thinks she would have liked his Jean, and his uncle would not have wanted him to run off and leave her. His mother cautions that he is too young, but he knows that she herself sheltered her young man behind her brown cloak. His father says that in this weary life his only comfort is seeing his wife with her brown cloak on.

Willie Mathieson learned the song from his mother.

Item Notes

Text and music transcribed in School of Scottish Studies. 6 verses.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 4, pp. 482-484
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (Greig) 1st series, article 68.
Willie Mathieson's MSS II:5

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Ellon

Village/Place - Ellon

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R5648 GD906

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good