Annotation:I Ha'e Laid a Herrin' in Sa't
X:1 T:I hae laid a Herrin in saut M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air S:John Rook music manuscript collection (Waverton, Cumbria, 1840, p. 251) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G B2d d2g|egd e3|def g2a|b2c' d'3| B2d d2g|egd e2c'|bd'c' c'ba|ged d3|| b>ab c'2c'|d'>c'd' e'3|e2a abc'|bag g2f| B2d d2g|egd e2c'|be'd' c'ba|ged d3||
I HA'E LAID A HERRIN' IN SA'T. AKA - "I hae laid a herrin in saut." Scottish, Jig (6/8 time). A Major (Kerr): G Major (Rook). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Rook): AABB (Kerr). I ha'e laid a herrin' in sa't was a popular humorous courting song from the Aberdeenshire area dating back to at least 1776. It is attributed to wikipedia:James Tytler (1747-1805). This is the melody traditionally used for the Scottish country dance Flora Macdonald’s Fancy. The song appears in Gavin Greig's Scots Minstrelsie, vol. 1 (1893), wherein the words are credited to James Tytler, set to an "Old Melody."
I hae laid a herrin' i' saut,
Lass, gin ye lo'e me, tell me noo;
I hae brew'd a forpit o' maut,
An' I canna come ilka day to woo.
