Rock and a Wee Pickle Tow (A)

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X:2 % T:Rock & a wi pickle Tow, A M:3/4 L:1/8 R:Air Q:"Slow" S:McGibbon – Scots Tunes, book II, p. 55 (c. 1746) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G D2 | E2G2A2 | B4d2 | (e>fg)B2 | A4 T(f>e/2f/4) | g2G2A2 | TB3A (B/c/d) | B2G2(GA) | G4 :||: (gf) | e2e2g2 | e2 efg2 | T(e>de)fgf | Te3dB2 | d3ed2 | d2e2f2 | g2fedc | {c}TB2 AB G2 | c2B2c2 | d2e2f2 | (gf)(ed)(cB) | TA4 T(f>e/2f/4) | g2G2A2 | TB2 (A<G) (G>A) |G4 :|]

X:1 % T:Rock and wee pickle Tow, The M:6/8 L:1/8 Q:"Slow" S:Gow – 4th Repository (1817) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F C|C/D/FF (AF)A|(cf)A G2 c/B/|(AF)G A2~G|AFF F2:| f|d(df) ~d2f|d(df) (dc)A|c(cd) c2d|(cf)A G2A| B>cd dBd|{d}cBA G2B|(AF)G A2~G|AFF F2f| (f/e/)dd ~d2f|(f/e/)dd {de}f2d|(d/c/)cc c2a|{ga}b2a {a}g2 (f/4g/4a/)| bag fed|(cf)A G2 (f/4g/4b/)|afg a>bg/b/|aff f2||

X: 1 T: ROCK AND WEE PICKLE TOW O: 1806 B: "Caledonian Musical Repository", 1806, p.138-146 F: http://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/pageturner.cfm?id=87661539 Z: 2013 John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu> M: 3/4 L: 1/4 K: G % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - D E G A | B2 d/ d/ | e> d B | w: There was an auld wife had a wee pick-le {B}A2 (d/c/) | B G A | (B> c) (A/d/) | B G2 | w: tow, And* she wad gae try* the* spin-ning G2 D | E G A | B2 d | e g B | w: o't; But loot-ing her down, her rock took a {B}A2 (d/c/) | B G A | B2 A | B G2 | G2 |] w: low, And* that was an ill be-gin-ning o't. g | e e g | e e g | e e g | w: She spat on't, she flet on't, and trampt on its %page 139 (e d) B | d> e d | d> e f | g f e | w: pow,* But a' that she did on-ly blew up the {e}d2 B | c> B c | d e f | g d B | w: low; She curs'd baith the rock and the wee pick-le {B}A2 f | g G A | B2 (A/d/) | B G2 | G2 |] w: tow, A-lack! for the drea-ry spin-ning o't. % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - W:2.I've wanted a sark for these eight years and ten, W: And this was to be the beginning o't; W: But I vow I shall want it for as lang again, W: Or ever I try the spinning o't. W: For never, since ever they ca'd me's they ca' me, W: Did sic a mishap and mishanter befa' me; W: Ye shall hae leave baith to hang me and draw me, W: If ever I try the spinning o't. W: W:3.I hae kept a house for these threescore o' years, W: And never did try the spinning o't; W: But how I was sacked, foul fa' them that spiers, W: It minds me upo' the beginning o't. %page 140 W: But women are now-a-days turned sae braw, W: That ilk ane maun hae a sark, some maun hae twa, W: The warld was better when the fient ane ava, W: To hinder the first beginning o't. W: W:4.Foul fa' them that ever advis'd me to spin, W: That had been sae lang o' beginning o't; W: I weel might hae ended as I did begin, W: Nor got sic a fear wi' the spinning o't: W: But they say she's a wise wife wha kens her ain weird; W: I thought ance on a day it wad never been spier'd, W: How loot ye the low tak the rock by the beard, W: When ye gade to try the spinning o't? W: W:5.The spinning, the spinning, it gars my heart sab, W: When I think upon the beginning o't; W: I thought ere I died to have made me a wab, W: But still I had weirs o' the spinning o't. W: But had I nine daughters, as I hae but three, W: The safest and soundest advice I wad gie, W: Is that they frae spinning wad keep their hands free, W: For fear of a bad beginning o't. W: W:6.Yet in spite of my counsel, if they will needs run W: The drearysome task o' the spinning o't, W: Let them seek a lown place in the heat o' the sun, W: And there venture on the beginning o't. %page 141 W: But to do as I did, alas and avow! W: To busk up my rock by the cheek o' the low, W: Some may say that I had little wit in my pow, W: And as little to do wi' the spinning o't. W: W:7.But yet, after a', there is ae thing that grieves W: My heart, to think on the beginning o't; W: Had I won but the length o' ae pair o' sleeves, W: Then there wad been word o' the spinning o't: W: Then I'd hae twa washin' and bleached like snaw. W: And on my twa gardies like muggons to draw, W: And then fouk wad say that auld Grizzy was braw, W: And a' was upon her ain spinning o't. W: W:8.But gin I wad shog about till a new spring, W: I should yet hae a bout o' the spinning o't; W: A mutchkin o' lintseed I'd in the yird fling, W: For a' the wanchancie beginning o't. W: I'll gar my ain Tammie gang down to the howe, W: And cut me a rock o' the withershins grow, W: O' gude rantry-tree, for to carry my tow, W: And a spindle o' the same for the twining o't. W: W:9.For now when I mind me, I met Maggy Grim, W: That morning, just at the beginning o't; W: She was ne'er ca'd chancy, but unlucky and slim, W: And sae it has far'd o' my spinning o't. %page 142 W: But gin my new rock were ance cutted and dry, W: Ise a' Maggy's can and her cantrips defy, W: And, but ony soothing, the spinning I'll try, W: And yese a' hear o' the beginning o't. W: W:10.Quo' Tibby her daughter, tak tent what ye say, W: The never a rag we'll be seeking o't; W: Gin ye ance begin, ye'll traverse night and day, W: Sae it's vain ony mair to be speaking o't. W: Since Lammas I'm now gane thirty and twa, W: And ne'er a dud sark had I yet, great or sma', W: And what waur am I? I'm as warm and as braw W: As thrummmy-tail'd Meg, that's a spinner o't. W: W:11.To labour lint land, and then buy the seed, W: And then to yoke me to the harrowing o't, W: And syne hobble amang't, and pick out ilka weed, W: Like a swine in a sty, at the farrowing o't: W: Syne bowing, and rippling, and steeping, and then W: To gar's gae and spread it upon the cauld plain; W: And then, after a', maybe labour in vain, W: When the wind and the weet gets the fushon o't. W: W:12.But though it should happen the weather to bide, W: Wi' beetles we're set to the drubbing o't; W: And then frae our fingers to gudge a' the hide, W: Wi' the wearisome wark o' the spinning o't. %page 143 W: And syne ilka tait maun be heckled out-through, W: The lint putten ae gate, anither the tow, W: Sjne on a rock with it, and it taks a low: W: The back o' my hand to the spinning o't. W: W:13.Quo' Jenny, I think, woman, ye're in the right, W: Set your feet a-spar to the spinning o't; W: We may tak our advice frae our ain mither's fright, W: That she gat when she tried the spinning o't. W: But they'll say that auld fouk are twice bairns indeed, W: And sae has she kyth'd it, but there is nae need, W: To sic an amshah that we drive out o' head, W: As lang's we're sae scar'd frae the spinning o't, W: W:14.Quo' Nancy the youngest, I've now heard you a% W: And dowy's your doom o' the spinning o't; W: Gin ye fan, the cow flings, the cog's cast awa, W: Ye may see where ye'll lick up your winning o't. W: But I see that by spinning ye'll never be braw. W: But gae by the name o' a dilp or a daw; W: But lick where ye like, I shall ance shake a fa', W: Afore I be dung wi' the spinning o't. W: W:15.For weel can I mind me, when black Willie Bell W: Had Tibbie there, just at the winning o't, W: What blew up the bargain, she kens weel hersel, W: Was the want o' the knack o' the spinning o't, %page 144 W: And now, poor woman, for ought that I ken, W: She never may get sic an offer again, W: But pine awa, bit and bit, like Jenkin's hen, W: And naething to wyte but the spinning o't. W: W:16.But were it for naething but just that alane, W: I shall yet hae a bout at the spinning o't; W: They may cast me, and e'en ca' me black at the bane, W: But no 'cause I shunn'd the beginning o't. W: But be that as it happens, I carena a strae, W: For nane o' the lads e'er shall hae it to say, W: When he comes to woo, she kens naething ava, W: Nor has ony can at the spinning o't. W: W:17.It's needless for us to tak our remarks W: Frae our mither's miscooking the spinning o't; W: She never kend ought o' the gude o' the sarks, W: Frae this, a' back to the spinning o't. W: Three ell o' plaiding was a' that was sought W: By our auld waly bodies, and that boot be bought, W: For in ilka town sickan things were na wrought, W: Sae little they kend o' the spinning o't. W: % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - %page 145 %%sep 5 1 500 %: 2

X:1 T:Rock and wee pickle tow, A M:6/8 L:1/8 S:John Rook music manuscript collection (1840, p. 25) N:Rook was a multi-instrumentalist from Waverton, near Wigton, Cumbria Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G D|G2A B2g|edB A2G|DGA B2A|BGG G2g| G2A B2g|edB A2G|DGA B2A|BGG G2|| g|eeg eeg|deg e2B|ddf ddf|TBdg B2G| cac cgc|Aag fef|fdc B2A|BGG G2||