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Bandy's Roup
Jim Taylor: On Autumn Harvest ah08: Old Songs & Bothy Ballads: There's Bound to be a Row. Recorded at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival May 2009.
The song tells of one of the saddest days for a farmer - when he retires and need to sell up, calling in the auctioneer for a displenishing sale or roup. The song was written by Jimmy Wright who moved as a child with his family to Midmar in Aberdeenshire. As is often the case, the farmer was known by the name of his place - in this case Bandy after the farm name of Bandoddle.
1: Aul Bandy he wis roupin oot, his fairmin days were deen,
He bocht a wee bit hoosie in the toun o Aiberdeen;
Noo aa his stock and implements were aa gaun up for sale,
He'd even sell the moosetrap an the aul slop pail.
2: The foreman and the second lad were pit tae wash the cairts,
Tae pint them up aa green an reid and ile up aa the pairts;
The halflin pinted aa the ploos the harrers and the grubber,
The bailie he rade up the nowte wi dandy, kame an scrubber.
3: So, on the mornin o the roup aathing wis spick and span,
We had a barrel fu o beer, we'd plenty beef an ham;
For near aabody wid come tae buy but jist tae hae their fill,
Aul Bandy kent the drill fu weel, he'd deen the same himsel.
4: So, fan the roup got startit and a crood had gaithered roun,
The unctioneer caad oot for bids, ye couldna hear a soun;
He thocht he'd got them in the mood and cries, "Noo look hear Dixon,
This horse he'll dee the wark o twa and help oot in the kitchen!"
5: The fairmer fae the Mill o Lyne he'd come tae buy a stot,
Fen he saw Bandy's Bell gaun by he set off at the trot;
She said, "Look here my little man, I'd like tae know your game."
Says he, "Noo Bell, ye brawly ken, my game it's aye the same."
6: Well, nae maitter fit his game wis, it seems Bell liked it fine,
For noo she is the fairmer's wife doun at the Mill o Lyne;
But files as yet he winners an he files thinks till himsel,
He should hae stuck tae buying stots and nae chased Bandy's Bell.
7: Of coorse the weemen-folk were there tae hae a wee bit splash,
Afore the aifterneen wis by they'd bile up aa the trash;
The servant quine fae Pitney's, she wis keen on deein some biddin,
She got on the dyke tae get mair hecht but fell back in tae the midden.
8: The doctor fair enjoyed himsel, he'd drunk some muckle beer,
His wife made up a lame excuse, she couldna staun the steer;
He waved his hand tae let her ken he'd be wi her ae noo,
But afore he kent he'd gane an bocht aul Bandy's breedin soo.
9: But fan the roup wis finished and the last chiel left the scene,
Aul Bandy he'd a last look roun, a tear cam tae his een;
Syne doun the brae he wannered fa he played fan jist a loon;
And I'm sure his hert wis heavy as he set aff tae the toun.
dandy = horse brush
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c p 2010 Autumn Harvest : www.springthyme.co.uk
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