I have known the following rhyme for many years: Wha saw the Forty-Second, Wha saw them gang awa? Wha saw the Forty-Second, Marching doon the Broomielaw
I was speaking to an old whistler last week and we played the tune used for the rhyme, "Wha Wadna fecht for Charlie?". He then started singing: Wha saw the tattie howkers, Wha saw them gang awa? Wha saw the tattie howkers, .......... the Berwick Law? I believe it may originate as "hawkers", based on Irish potato sellers. I've since discovered other variants: "Wha saw the cotton-spinners?", which refers to a strike in 1880s Glasgow. Another goes Wha saw the Forty-Second, Wha saw them gang awa? Wha saw the Forty-Second, Gaein' tae the wappenshaw. [wappenshaw = military parade] Some o' them gat chappit tatties, Some o' them gat nane ava; Some o' them gat barley bannocks, Gaein' tae the wappenshaw. Wha saw the Forty-Second (etc) Some o' them had tartan troosers, Some o' them had nane ava; Some o' them had green umbrellas, Marchin' doon the Broomielaw. Other variants mention the "Zulu war" and "Wha saw the bonnie lassies" (Some had shoes and stockings on, ithers they had nane at a'" which is supposed to have referred to a pleasure boat tragedy. I'm sure some of the folk on the list have heard other variants. -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
