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Big Kilmarnock Bonnet

Date
Track ID 55302
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1960.142.B5

Original Tape ID

SA1960.142

Summary

In this comic song, a naive farm worker resolves to go to Glasgow, and is tricked by a friend into paying a visit to Katie Bain. She gets him drunk, robs him and leaves him wandering the streets. His misfortune continues when he falls into the Clyde, and is arrested by the police, resulting in sixty days in quad [prison]. He will never forget the trick played on him by Sandy Laing.

Item Notes

6 verses of 4 lines; chorus of 4 lines sung twice after verse 1 and once after all verses except verse 4.

The Kilmarnock bonnet is a distinctive hat originating from that famous weaving town.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 379-380, no. 296
National Library of Scotland, Broadside Ballad collection, L.C. Fol.70 (37b)

Item Location

County - Lanarkshire

Parish - Glasgow

Village/Place - Glasgow

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R5861 GD296

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair