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Document 585

Burns Nicht Sang for Andra Kindness

Author(s): Wendy de Rusett

Copyright holder(s): Wendy de Rusett

Text

(air: South Georgia Whaling Song)

Noo women are saucy an women are sweet,
An some they will charm you richt aff your feet!
An ithers torment you an fair gar ye greet,
But for aa that I value my freedom!

Some lassies will kittle you till you are hoarse,
Wi laughin an wheezing an hoastin of course.
An kittling can lead tae canoodlin of course!
But for aa that I fancy ma freedom!

Chorus:
For aa o their charmin, disarmin wee ways,
Their frills an their ribbons an colourful claes,
I’ll bide a batchelor aa o ma days,
For I prize, abeen aa, ma freedom.

Noo a single mans’s hoose it is empty an bare,
Nae a flooer on the table, nor cushion on chair,
An the sweet small of bakin is nae in the air,
But for aa that I’m gled o ma freedom.

True, a lassie will mak you a tasty bit treat,
An fancy wee pieces an pastries tae eat,
An’ll sit on yer knee an’ll cry you her “sweet”,
But for aa that I treasure ma freedom.
(Chorus)

I will tell you a secret I’ve nae tellt afore:
I cuid hae been merriet tae mebbe a score.
There wis Meg, Peg and Katie, and Jeannie an more,
But for aa that I cherish ma freedom!

An noo that I’m aller an hivnae a wife,
Nae bairns an gran’bairns tae cause me sic strife,
Tae plunner ma siller at the point of a knife!
It’s nae wunner I value ma freedom.
(Chorus)

Och a wife is gey handy fan there’s fairm wark tae dae,
At ricklin the peats an at maskin the tae,
Fan the hairst’s gaithert in, tae relax in the hay,
But for aa that I’d plump for ma freedom.

Noo I daur say there’s lassies I left greetin sair,
An some threw me ower wi their nib in the air,
But the best o them aa said they hidnae a care,
For, like me, they’d a likin for freedom.
(Chorus)

Noo mony an aal spinster will gie me a wink!
No dinna be jealous, it’s nae fit you think!
We’ll aa lift wir glesses, an a toast we will drink
Tae the lads that are champions o freedom!

I’m guid-natert an handsome an witty forby.
I can dance, I can sing, I can drink the hoose dry.
I’m as fit as a fiddle. I am sprightly an spry,
Aa because I hiv guarded ma freedom.
(Chorus.)

(This pen-portrait was created thanks to reminiscences from members of the Day Care Group including 79 year old Andrew himself, who liked the result. I sang it at their Burns Supper and it went down well.)

This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document.

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APA Style:

Burns Nicht Sang for Andra Kindness. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 28 March 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=585.

MLA Style:

"Burns Nicht Sang for Andra Kindness." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=585.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Burns Nicht Sang for Andra Kindness," accessed 28 March 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=585.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 585

Burns Nicht Sang for Andra Kindness

Text

Text audience

Adults (18+)
Audience size 21-100
Writer knew intended audience

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 2000
Word count 468
General description A penportrait of a member of a day care centre put to a fairly popular folk melody.

Text medium

Other Social gathering for the elderly.

Text performance/broadcast details

Where performed/broadcast Performed at a Burns Supper for Elderly, and subsequent other occasions.
When performed/broadcast 2000-01-25
Performed/broadcast by Author and others.

Text setting

Leisure/entertainment

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 733
Forenames Wendy
Surname de Rusett
Gender Female
Educational attainment University
Age left school 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism with a strong agnostic background.
Occupation Drama teacher in Primary Schools
Place of birth Aberdeen
Region of birth Aberdeen
Birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Country of birth Scotland
Father's occupation University Lecturer
Father's country of birth England
Mother's occupation Housewife
Mother's place of birth Buckie
Mother's region of birth Moray
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Mry
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
Arabic Yes Yes Yes Yes A little.
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Mother tongue, daily use.
French Yes Yes Yes Yes Fluent, used for teaching drama
Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic No Yes No No A little, mainly for singing
German Yes Yes Yes Yes A little.
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Learner, in community, occ. for literature
Turkish Yes Yes Yes Yes A little.

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