25
Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch
This spirited bit of Scottish vituperation was printed in the 1791
edition of Herd's Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs and is to be
found in some modern song collections, e.g., the Franklin Square
Song Collection, but seems not to have been accepted as folk song
by American collectors. Helen K. Johnson in Our Familiar Songs
and Those Who Made Them says the words are by a Mrs. Grant
and the tune by the famous Scottish piper Neil Gow.
'Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch.' Reported by K. P. Lewis as taken down
in November 1910 from the singing (or recitation?) of Dr. Kemp P
Battle of Chapel Hill.
OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 361
1 Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat you how she cheated me
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?
She vow'd, she swore she wad be mine,
She said that she loo'd [me] best of any;
But oh, the fickle, faithless quean,
She's ta'en the carl and left her Johnnie!
2 Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat you how she treated me
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?
Oh, she was a canty quean
And weel cou'd she dance the Highland walloch.
How happy I, had she been mine
Or I'd [been] Roy of Aldivalloch!
3 Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat you how she cheated me
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?
Her hair so fair, her een sae clear,
Her wee bit mou sae sweet and bonny,
To me she ever will be dear
Tho' she's forever left her Johnnie!