Lyr Req: As I Came in by Fisherrow

Subject: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Rita
Date: 29 Dec 98 - 10:05 PM

Anyone know the lyrics to this song. I tried to look in the Database, and I'm not sure I went about it the right way, but I did not have any luck! I do know it's a folk song I heard by Archie Fisher

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 29 Dec 98 - 10:20 PM

File AS I CAME IN BY FISHERROW in DT. Also sung by Ewan MacColl on Folkways FW 8760.

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 30 Dec 98 - 05:23 PM

I forgot to mention that there's background information on this old Scots song and its tune, and a somewhat spicier version of the song, "Bogi-don" (to the same tune) in the Scarce Songs 1 file on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From:
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 02:45 PM

Is Fisherow some place or neighbourhood in Scotland?

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 04:51 PM

Sure Tim, it's where all those Fishers come from.

Or maybe its what Archie's sculling coach used to yell when Archie was tired after a night of folksinging and not pulling his weight at early morning practice...

And apparently its near Musselburgh.

Bill

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Rita
Date: 02 Jan 99 - 01:08 AM

Thanks Bruce, That's the song, and now I know why I did not pick up the lyric's. Can anyone translate this song into American English? Rita

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 02 Jan 99 - 08:47 AM

Well I guess I owe this thread a penance, so here's a synopsis: (Canadian English though)

First verse is straightforward--protagonist comes in from the mussel flats (Musselburgh is a small town near Edinburgh, I believe), ditches cargo in order to drop in surreptitiously on sweetheart. The timber stairs creak loudly which causes him some fear of discovery, but he didn't want to "lie his lane"--go straight home with his mussels --when he happened to find himself near sweetheart's abode at night.

"Had her apron bidden doon"--her belly swelled up under her apron, ie pregnancy resulted;
"the kirk would ne'er ha kent it"--the church wouldn't have found out about their tryst
but now the whole friggin "toon" (village or town, or farmstead) knows about it.

"She maun tak the cutty stool"--she gets to sit on the Stool of Repentance, some weird Presbyterian ritual
"I man pay the pillar"--he gets put in the stocks because they don't have the "siller" --money--to buy their way out of this humiliation.

Great song. Makes me glad that my grandparents gave up religion and left Scotland for Canada due to just such an incident (the incident being my dad).

Bill

Subject: RE: Upstairs, Downstairs, Lyrics?
From: Rita
Date: 03 Jan 99 - 10:22 AM

Thanks Bill, I was a long way from home on this one. I was pretty sure sex was involved in someway like in most good songs though. Thanks Again!