Annotation:Todlin Hame (1)
X:1 T:Todlen Hame [1] M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air Q:"Slow" B:Aird – Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 4 (1796, No. 200, p. 74) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D (d/>e/)|f>ed B>cd|A>Bd ede|f>ed B>cd|A>B2d d2|| d|g>ag f2f|e>f (g/f/) e2 (d/e/)|f>ed B>cd|A>Bd d3|| |:O f>ed B>cd|A>Bd ede|f>ed B>cd|ABd d2O:|]
TOD(D)LIN' HAME [1]. Irish, English, Scottish (originally); Air and Jig (6/8 time). England, Northumberland. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Todlen Hame" is a convivial song [Roud #6493] that was first printed in Allan Ramsay's Tea-Table Miscellany and then in Orpheus Caledonius. Robert Burns, in his notes on the Scots Musical Museum (where the song was taken from Orpheus Caledonaius), remarked “This is perhaps the first bottle song that ever was composed”, referring to its age and popularity, and was of the opinion that it was one of the best songs of the kind that ever was composed. The tune is quite ancient, according to William Stenhouse (Illustrations'), and variants were used for a number of songs, including (but not limited to) "Armstrong's Farewell," "Bacach," "An Cana Draigeann Eille," "Clinch Mountain," "Cuckoo (5) (The)," “Days of 'Lang Syne',” "Gage Fane," "Jack of Diamonds (1)," "Johnny Armstrong," "Meeting of the Waters (1)”, "My Ain Fireside," "My Name is Dick Kelly," "Geadna Fiadaine (Na)," “O Whistle and I’ll Come to You/Ye My Love/Lad,” "Old Ireland Rejoice," "Old Head of Denis (The)," "Origin of the Harp (The)," "Robie Donua Gorach," "Rye Whiskey (1)," "Wagoner's Lad (The)," "Wild Geese (1) (The)."
However, according to Glen (Early Scottish Melodies, 1900), the melody is not among those in Music of the Tea-Table Miscellany and the tune with the song "Todlen Butt and Todlen Ben" in Orpheus Caledonius is totally different than the one printed in the Museum. However, Glen agrees that the "Todlen" tune is an ancient one.
The air of "Johnnie Armstrong" has been identified with that of "Tod(d)lin’ Hame" in Johnson Stenhouse, p. 336, and concurred in Glen, p. 172. Cazden (et al, 1982) identifies it as a member of a large tune family used for numerous ballads, hymns and airs in the British Isles and North America, including "Rock Island Line," "Old Head of Denis (The)," and several cowboy ballads. The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel's Budget"), which he published c. 1800. Gow (1817) remarks “elegant accompaniment by the Immortal HAYDN” along with the tune in the 4th Repository, referring to a setting of "Todlen Hame" by the composer, commissioned and issued by the Edinburgh bookseller William Whyte.
The words to the song, as printed by James Johnson in his Scots Musical Museum vol. 3 (1790), go:
When I have a sixpence under my thum,
Then I’ll get credit in ilka town;
But ay when I’m poor they bid me gae by;
O, poverty parts good company
Chorus:
Todlen hame, Todlen hame, O!
Cou’dna my love come todlen hame.
Fair fa’ the goodwife, and sen her good sale,
She gi’es us white bannocks to drink her ale,
Syne if her tippony chance to be fina’,
We’ll tak a good scour o’t, and ca’t awa’.
Todlen hame, todlen hame,
As round as a neep come todlen hame.
My kimmer and I lay down to sleep.
And twa pint stoups at our bed-feet’;
And ay when we waken’d we drank them dry;
What think you of my wee kimmer and I.
Todlen butt and todlen ben,
Sae round as my love comes todlen hame.
Leez me on liquor, my todlen dow,
Ye’re ay sae good-humour’d when weeting your mou’;
When sober sae sour, ye’ll fight wi’ a flee,
That it’s a blyth fight to the bairns and me,
Todlen hame, todlen hame,
When round as a neep ye come todlen hame.
