Oh Boys Oh

DESCRIPTION: The singer, a servant lass of 28 years, quits to marry whomever will marry her. "I'm bound to say he'll bless the day." But he would have to give up rambling and send her his earnings on term day, and if he lifts a hand or foot to her he'll rue the day.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1956 (Mitchell and Mitchell SA1956.171)
KEYWORDS: marriage bragging warning work humorous children husband wife servant
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Bord))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
McMorland/Scott-HerdLaddieOTheGlen, pp. 130-131, 155, "Boys o Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: Willie Scott, "Oh Boys Oh," School of Scottish Studies Archive SA1986.132,Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches accessed 14 September 2013 from http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/84820/1
William Sinclair Mitchell and Catherine Margaret Mitchell, "O Boys O," School of Scottish Studies Archive SA1956.171,Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches accessed 4 October 2013 from http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/49926/1
Roud #6937
NOTES [84 words]: Candlemas [February 2], Whitsunday [May 15], Lammas [August 1] and Martinmas [November 11] were the four "Old Scottish term days" "on which servants were hired, and rents and rates were due." (Source: Wikipedia article Quarter days). [With, of course, the non-trivial footnote that Whitsun was a movable holiday that rarely fell May 15. - RBW]
Seasonal hiring of servants and farm workers usually was for six months, beginning May and November, and the term day marked the end of the employment period. - BS
Last updated in version 3.2
File: McSc130

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