Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
The Wife of Kelso / The Toon o' Kelso / The Old Wife of Slapsadam / The Wily Auld Carle / The Old Woman in Dover / Johnny Sands / Marrowbones (Roud No. 183) / Johnny Sands and Betsy Haig (Roud No. 184) - Sung by Ewan MacColl on "The Long Harvest Vol. 6" (1967). Text from "ORD, John, The Bothy Songs and Ballads of Aberdeen (Alexander Gardner, Glasgow, 1930)". Tune from the singing of Cathleen Topping of Ashton-in Collected by Dennis Turner, 1966.
Song transcription:
A man whose name was Johnny Sands
Had married Betty Haig,
And though she brought him gold and lands,
She proved a terrible plague.
Chorus:
Whack fol lol de lallidy
Whack fol lol de lay
Whack fol lol de lallidy
Whack fol lol de laro lay.
For oh, she was a scolding wife,
Full of caprice and whim,
He said that he was tired of life,
And she was tired of him.
Says he, "Then I will drown myself,
The river runs below,"
Says she, "Pray do, you silly old man
I wished it long ago".
Says he, "Upon the brink I'll stand,
Do you run down the hill
And push me in with all your might".
Says she, "My love, I will".
"For fear that I should courage lack
And try to save my life,
Pray tie my hands behind my back".
"I will," replied his wife.
She tied them fast as you may think,
And when securely done,
"Now stand," she says, "upon the brink
And I'll prepare to run".
All down the hill his loving bride
She ran with all her force,
To push him in, but he stepped aside,
And she fell in, of course.
Now splashing, dashing, like a fish,
"Oh save me, Johnny Sands!"
"I can't me dear, though much I wish,
For you have tied my hands!"
The Wife of Kelso / The Toon o' Kelso / The Old Wife of Slapsadam / The Wily Auld Carle / The Old Woman in Dover / Johnny Sands / Marrowbones (Roud No. 183) / Johnny Sands and Betsy Haig (Roud No. 184) - Sung by Ewan MacColl on "The Long Harvest Vol. 6" (1967). Text from "ORD, John, The Bothy Songs and Ballads of Aberdeen (Alexander Gardner, Glasgow, 1930)". Tune from the singing of Cathleen Topping of Ashton-in Collected by Dennis Turner, 1966.
Song transcription:
A man whose name was Johnny Sands
Had married Betty Haig,
And though she brought him gold and lands,
She proved a terrible plague.
Chorus:
Whack fol lol de lallidy
Whack fol lol de lay
Whack fol lol de lallidy
Whack fol lol de laro lay.
For oh, she was a scolding wife,
Full of caprice and whim,
He said that he was tired of life,
And she was tired of him.
Says he, "Then I will drown myself,
The river runs below,"
Says she, "Pray do, you silly old man
I wished it long ago".
Says he, "Upon the brink I'll stand,
Do you run down the hill
And push me in with all your might".
Says she, "My love, I will".
"For fear that I should courage lack
And try to save my life,
Pray tie my hands behind my back".
"I will," replied his wife.
She tied them fast as you may think,
And when securely done,
"Now stand," she says, "upon the brink
And I'll prepare to run".
All down the hill his loving bride
She ran with all her force,
To push him in, but he stepped aside,
And she fell in, of course.
Now splashing, dashing, like a fish,
"Oh save me, Johnny Sands!"
"I can't me dear, though much I wish,
For you have tied my hands!"
