1118. The Keach in the Creel (Child 281) - (Traditional Scottish)

Details

Description

Another of the ancient English and Scottish ballads collected by Francis James Child. This story of seduction goes back to European folk tales of the 14th Century. Child considered one passage in the song to be "brutal and shameless almost beyond example."

Artists who have recorded this song include Ewan MacColl (1956), the Ian Campbell Folk Group (1968), Jean Redpath (1977), Paul Brady (1978), Martin Carthy (1992), Subway to Sally and Eliza Carthy (1995).

Lyrics and chords:
G
A fair young maid went up the street
...................................... D7
Some white fish for to buy
............ G .................. D7 ....... C
And a bonnie clerk's fa’en in love with her
.............. D7 ................. G
And he's followed her by and by.

Ricky too dum da

Too dum da
................... D7 .......... G
Ricky ticky too dum day

O where live you my bonny lass
I pray thee tell tae me
For gin the night were ne’er sae mirk
I wad come and visit thee.

O, my father he aye locks the door,
My mither keeps the key,
And gin ye were e'er sic a wily wight
Ye canna win in tae me.

The clerk he had ae true brother
And a wily wight was he
And he has made a lang ladder
Was thirty steps and three.

He has made a cleek but and a creel
A creel but and a pin
And he's awa’ to the chimley top
And he's letten the bonnie clerk in.

The auld wife, being not asleep,
Heard something that was said;
“I'll lay my life”, quo the silly old wife,
“There's a man in our dochter's bed”.

The auld man he gat owre the bed
To see if the thing was true
But she's ta’en the bonny clerk in her arms
And covered him owre wi’ blue.

“O where are ye gaun now, father?” she says,
“And where are ye gaun sae late?
You’ve disturbed me in my evening prayers,
And O but they were sweet!”

“O ill betide ye, silly auld wife
An ill death may you die!
She has the good book in her arms
And she's prayin’ for you and me.”

The old wife still being not asleep
Then something more was said.
“I'll lay my life,” quo the silly auld wife
There's a man in our dochter's bed.”

“O rise yoursel’, gudewife,” he says.
“May the devil have ye fast!
Atween ye and your ae dochter
I canna get ae night’s rest.”

The auld wife she got owre the bed
To see if the thing was true;
But what the wrack took the auld wife’s fit
For into the creel she flew.

The man that was at the chimley top
He found the creel was fu'.
He wrappit the rape round his left shoulder,
And fast to him he drew.

He's drawn her up, he's let her doon
He's gi'en her a right doon-fa’
Till every rib in the old wife's side
Played nick-nack on the wa’.

“O help me now, my old Goodman
O come and help me, do,
For him that ye wished me with this night,
He’s carryin’ me off just noo.

“Gin auld Nick he has catched ye now,
I wish he may hold ye fast.
For you and your ae daughter
Ne’er give me any rest.

O, the blue, the bonnie, bonnie blue
And I wish it may do well
And every auld wife that’s sae jealous o’ her dochter
May she get a good keach i’ the creel.

You can watch a playlist of my renditions of the Child ballads:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLB2D0D5657EA394E4

You can watch a playlist of my bawdy songs here: https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLCi_Xcl2_fAWBNTWkQLP4k_E2g7QFREIH

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com