Cuckoo's Nest (I), The

DESCRIPTION: Singer meets a girl and tells her his inclination lies in her cuckoo's nest. She's shocked at first, but his words are convincing; she consents. (He leaves her with the makings of a young cuckoo.)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: Early 1950s (recorded from Jeannie Robertson & John Strachan)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Singer meets a girl and tells her his inclination lies in her cuckoo's nest. She's shocked at first, but as his intentions are good and his words are convincing, she consents. (He leaves her with the makings of a young cuckoo.) Chorus: "Some like the lassie's that's gay weel dressed/And some like the lassies that's lecht aboot the waist/But it's in amang the blankets that I like best/To get a jolly rattle at the cuckoo's nest" or words to that effect
KEYWORDS: courting sex pregnancy animal bird lover dancetune
FOUND IN: Britain US(SW)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Peacock, pp. 259-260, "Cuckoo's Nest" (1 text, 1 tune)
Logsdon-WhorehouseBellsWereRinging 48, pp. 232-233, "The Cuckoo's News" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-EnglishCountrySongbook, #91, "The Cuckoo's Nest" (1 text, 1 tune, apparently composite, so it's not really clear where it should file)
DT, CUKONEST*
Roud #5407
RECORDINGS:
Sean McGuire, "The Cuckoo's Nest" [instrumental] (on FSB02, FSB2CD)
Mrs. Nellie Musseau, "The Cuckoo's Nest" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
Jeannie Robertson "The Cuckoo's Nest" (on FSB2, FSB2CD)
John Strachan, "Twa and Twa" (on FSB2, FSB2CD)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Cuckoo's Nest (II)" (tune, subject)
cf. "The Magpie's Nest" (tune)
NOTES [85 words]: Three songs (two erotic) share this tune, which is also a common fiddle tune. "Cuckoo's Nest (I)" and "Cuckoo's Nest (II)" overlap some, but as one is always a ballad while the other is really a lyric song, I've split them. (They're most easily distinguished by the chorus; in (I) the man expresses his preferences in women, in (II) he doesn't.) [Note, however, that Logsdon-WhorehouseBellsWereRinging's version, from Riley Neal, has no chorus. - RBW] Better check out both, though -- and "The Magpie's Nest." - PJS
Last updated in version 3.7
File: RcTCN01

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