The Bleacher Lassie o Kelvinhaugh

Original Track ID

SA1962.24.A3

Original Tape ID

SA1962.024

Summary

A fragment of the song 'The Bleacher Lassie o Kelvinhaugh':

O lassie, lassie, ye're hard-herted,
Ah wish your fair face I'd never saw,
For ma hert, my hert, it lies bleeding,
For the bleacher lassie o Kelvinha'.

Oh, it's seven long years since we perted,
Maybe seven long years till we meet again,
[missing line]
And you'll bleach yer claithes on the Kelvinhaugh.

Item Notes

2 verses; the first verse is complete, with 4 lines, second verse missing third line.

In the complete song, the singer encounters a beautiful young bleacher-girl at Kelvinhaugh. He asks her to go with him, offering her fine clothes; she refuses, saying she will wait for her love, who is at sea. He pleads with her, calling her "hard-hearted", but she vows to wait another seven years for her sailor to return. At this, the man reveals himself to be her sailor newly returned from sea. They get married and open an ale-house.

The second verse of this fragment seems poorly-recalled, and usually ends with the lassie (not her suitor) talking:

'Tis seven long years since he went and left me,
It's seven long years since he went awa'
But another seven I'll wait upon him
And bleach a while on sweet Kelvinha'.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, pp. 433-439
Ord p. 77
'101 Scottish Songs' (N. Buchan, 1962) pp. 64-65

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R3325 GD1041

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair