Bonnie Wee Lassie Frae Gourock

Sticking with our Gourock theme, here's what can only be described as "a music hall classic", made famous by Belle Stewart. It is actually a Harry Lauder song called "Piper MacFarlane".

The frankly fantastic oral history archive Tobar an Dualchais notes that  "The words were written by Lauder and Gerald Grafton, to music by Lauder, published and recorded for Pathé in 1906. Both MacColl & Seeger (in 'Till Doomsday in the Afternoon', 1986, pp. 262-264) and Geordie McIntyre (in his notes to 'Belle Stewart: Queen Among the Heather' CDTRAX9055, 1998) note that Belle learned the song from a broadsheet, from The Poet's Box in Dundee."

The song details Piper MacFarlanes "comical" courtship of a young Gourock lass, presumably there is a verse missing detailing a visit to Cleats and the Cafe Continental.

Jim Lang - Bonnie Wee Lassie Frae Gourock by Auld Dunrod

BONNIE WEE LASSIE FROM GOUROCK

O! Am Piper McFarlane and A’m on the beer

But still A’m in love wi’ a  bonnie  wee dear

Ye’d like her yersel’ if ye only could see her

Her father’s the grocer in Gourock

The first time I met her I’ll never forget

The rain it was raining the weather was wet

I kissed her and told her that she was a pet

This bonnie wee lassie frae Gourock

CHORUS

O! she’s a bonnie wee beautiful thing

I’ve popp’d her the question and bought her the ring

A’m goin’ tae get married sometime in the Spring

But I dinna like to askin’ her faither

O! I took her tae London I did by the by

Tae spend a few days wi’ my auld freen’ Mackie

Mac “Who’s the lady?” “D’ye no ken?” said I

“That’s the bonnie wee lassie fra Gourock”

Mac started to tickle her under the chin

When who but his wife Missis Mac should come in

She shifted his whiskers and half o’ his chin

Thro; this bonnie wee lassie fra Gourock

CHORUS

O! I borrow’d twa pounds frae my auld freen Mackie

And I took my wee sweetheart to dine at the Cri

When a masher he started a winkin’ his eye

At my bonnie wee lassie frae Gourock

Her temper it rose she fair played the deuce

She walloped his neck wi’ the leg o’ a goose

She hunted the masher all over the hoose

“Twas a glo-rious vict’ry for Gourock

CHORUS

O! I bought my wee lassie a nice bit of lace

And a hat and some powder tae puff on her face

We caused a sensation all over the place

Me and my lassie frae Gourock

I treated her handsomely just like a swell

Took her roon’ tae the back o’ a first class hotel

Put her nose tae  the window to smell the nice smell

She’d ne’er smelt a smell like it in Gourock

CHORUS