The Foolish Young Girl

Contributors

Mathieson, Willie, 1879-1958 (464)

Fieldworkers

Henderson, Hamish, 1919-2002 (10)

Date

Track ID 17775

Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1952.11.A5

Original Tape ID

SA1952.011

Summary

In this song of lost love the young girl mourns for Jamie and bewails her foolishness in falling in love with an Irish boy, though he spoke broad Scots when he courted her. He promised love, fidelity and a home, but now he is in a tavern courting someone else who has more money, whom he will leave when money and beauty runs out. She says that she will die for love and asks for a turtle dove to be placed on her grave.

Item Notes

Text transcribed in School of Scottish Studies. 8 verses, of uneven length with 6 lines in verse 5, 3 in verse 7. The song has links with a number of songs of inconstant love, including 'The Irish Boy' and 'Tavern in the Town'. Willie Mathieson's text is almost identical to the text in Greig, 'Folk-songs of the North-East'.

Also known as 'I Love You Jamie' and 'I Wish I Wish'.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, p. 254
Willie Mathieson's MSS II:152

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Ellon

Village/Place - Ellon

Language

Scots

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good