The Packman
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1962.66.A6
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this song, a shepherd from Galloway goes to Grimsby to try his hand a being a packman. Though he is treated well by the boss at first, he quickly becomes homesick, and discovers that the job is not as easy or as profitable as he had thought. He decides to return to Galloway, and warns other young men against trying the packman lifestyle.
Item Notes
6 verses of 4 lines; hesitation in in verses 5 and 6; pause between last two verses.
Published in 'Frae the Heather' by Thomas Murray of Moorbrock, Carsphairn parish, Kirkcudbright; the song was composed by his son George Murray, who had been a packman in Grimsby before returning home to Galloway and enlisting in the Army, later fighting in the Boer War.
See:
'Tocher' 41 (1987-1988) pp. 333-335
'Frae the Heather' (T. Murray, 1897) pp. 29-30
'Come Gie's a Sang' (S. Douglas, 1995) pp. 34-35
Item Location
Village/Place - Galloway
Non Scottish Item Location
England, Grimsby
Non Scottish Item Location
Sasainn, Grimsby
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair