Auld Wife to the Bell-Rope Ran, The

DESCRIPTION: Apparently unrelated verses: The old wife rang the bell so loud the singer thought the building would fall; it's a shame "servant lassies a' get lads" but gentle ladies don't; it's awful to allow a lad to have a lass working for a fee.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Greig/Duncan7)
KEYWORDS: courting nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Greig/Duncan7 1514, "The Auld Wife to the Bell-Rope Ran" (1 text)
Roud #7173
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Monymusk Lads" (lyrics)
NOTES [50 words]: I guess the problem in the third verse is that the lad can only have a girl that's on a six-month contract. For "fee" see "South Ythsie." - BS
Much of the material in this song also shows up in "The Monymusk Lads." Determining the nature of the mixture probably requires more text than we have. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.5
File: GrD71514

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