I've a Laddie in America

DESCRIPTION: "I've a laddie in America, I've a laddie in Dundee-i-ee-i-ee, I've a laddie in Australia, And he's coming back to marry me-i-ee-i-ee." He takes her to each, then leaves her "Wi' three bonnie bairnies on my knee-i-ee-i-ee." They need their father
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1962 (Buchan, 101 Scottish Songs, according to the Digital Tradition)
KEYWORDS: mother father separation abandonment
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
DT, LADAMER
Roud #18316
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Tavern in the Town" (tune) and references there
cf. "I Had a Bloke Down Hopping" (theme)
SAME TUNE:
I've a Sweetheart in America
NOTES [99 words]: It is often stated that this is to the same tune as "Tavern in the Town." The way I've heard it, that is not quite true, especially in the latter lines. But they have a significant and characteristic similarity in the use of the tritone (e.g. a C# in the key of G or an F# in the key of C), both in the same spot:
I've a lad-die IN A-mer-i-kay And I've a-ni-ther IN Dun-see-i-ee-i-ee-i-ee (versus)
There's a ta-vern IN the town. in the town, And tere my true love SITS him down, sit him down
This is so rare, and so characteristic, that the tunes will almost automatically cross-fertilize. - RBW
Last updated in version 7.0
File: DTladame

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography