Annotation:What's a' the Steer

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WHAT'S/WHA'S A' THE STEER(, KIMMER). AKA and see “Steer Kimmer.” Scottish; Air, Country Dance or Highland Schottische (4/4 time). G Major (Kerr, Skye): C Major (Athole): D Major (Howe). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Athole, Howe): AAB (Skye): AABB' (Kerr). ‘Steer’ is Scots for ‘stir’, meaning to be in a bustle, or go about in a confused harassed way. A Kimmer is a married woman, midwife or a gossip, and Charles Gore adds that it is a fairly rude word for a young woman. Nigel Gatherer suggests the translation would be “What’s all this nonsense, woman?” The tune was sometimes used to accompany the Scottish country dance "Haughs o' Cromdale." The words to the song "What’s a' the Steer, Kimmer?" were written by Robert Allan (1774–1841), meant as a duet:

HE
WHAT’S a’ the steer, kimmer?
What’s a’ the steer?

SHE
Charlie he is landed,
An’, faith, he’ll soon be here.
The win’ was at his back, carle,
The win’ was at his back;
I carena, sin’ he’s come, carle,
We were na worth a plack.

HE
I’m right glad to hear ’t, kimmer,
I’m right glad to hear ’t;
I ha’e a gude braid claymore,
And for his sake I’ll wear ’t.

TOGETHER
Sin’ Charlie he is landed,
We ha’e nae mair to fear;
Sin’ Charlie he is come, kimmer,
We’ll ha’e a jub’lee year.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 122. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; No. 14, p. 20. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 4), c. 1880’s; No. 128, p. 16. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 169. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 153.

Recorded sources:

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