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The Thing's Baith Clear and Plain

from Poems & Lyrics by John Collie (1856) by John Collie (1834-1893)

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lyrics

’OD, Christy lass, can ye divine, What may the reason be, That ilka night that Robin comes, He seems sae fond 0’ me. He kisses me frae lug to lug, An’ ca’es me a’ his aim ; But there’s something that the laddy wants, The thing’s baith clear and plain.

II.
I aften hae made up my mind, To ask him what he meant ; But ne’er has had the courage yet, To gie ’im the bit hint. I try to do the best I can, And seem baith fond and fain; And yet there maun be something wrang, The thing’s baith clear and plain.

III.
Last Hallowe’en he came to me, A wee bit on the spree; But I trust this winna farder gang, Than just ’tween you and me. For stories are mischievous things, Which always end in pain;An’ gif he kent he would gang daft, The thing’s baith clear and plain.

IV.
That night he at my window knock’t, An“ bade me let him in; An’ I thought to keep him stanin’ out Would be a waefu’ sin.So I wi ' haste unbarred the door , An ' wow but he was fain ; There's a something i ' your head , quo ' I , The thing's baith clear and plain .

IV.
That night he at my window knock’t, An“ bade me let him in; An’ I thought to keep him stanin’ out Would be a waefu’ sin. So I wi’ haste unbarrcd the door, An’ wow but he was fain; There’s a something i’ your head, quo’ I, The thing’s baith clear and plain.

V.
' Had ye but seen hoo he rampaged, Sae cracky and sae crouse ; I thought nae but he would alarm The auld folks ’bout the house. An’ aye he drew me till his breast, An’ ca’ed me a’ his aim; But he had something in his e’e, The thing’s baith clear and plain.

VI.
Its only but a towmont past, At Martinmas last year, Sin’ he began wi’ tainty steps, Our hallan to draw near. An’ but to you an’ cousin Meg, I never taul’t to ane; So I trust ye’ll do the best ye can, My question to explain.

credits

from Poems & Lyrics by John Collie (1856), released May 24, 2022
Dave Edwards - acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica, vocal

John Collie (1834-1893) - lyrics

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fiffdimension Featherston, New Zealand

Outsider music from Aotearoa NZ and beyond, by Dave Edwards and collaborators (from 1856 to 2024).

Spans acoustic & electric noise, rock, folk, spoken word, postpunk, free jazz, gamelan, lo fi, electronica, & ethnomusicology.

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