James o' Broodie- Strachen (OK-ON) pre1925 Moores
[Ballads and Songs From the Southwest; Ethel and Chauncey Moore, 1964. Their notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
32 Johnie Cock
"The first notice in print of this precious specimen of unspoiled traditional ballad [Child, No. 11a] is in Ritson's Scottish Songs, 1794, I, xxxvi, note 25," writes Professor Child in III, 1. Motherwell, I, 169-75, gives a text with the title Johnnie o' Breadislee and includes a tune in II, 276. Of the ballad he says: "History is silent with regard to this young Nimrod." He also notes that "tradition assigns Braid, in the neighborhood of Edinburgh, to have been the scene of his woeful hunting." Except for the substitution of "Jamie" for "Johnie," the Oklahoma variant is very true to form, making it one of the finest texts and tunes of our collection. For other texts, see Creighton and Senior,65-67; Davis, 385-87; Gummere, t23-26; and Ord, 467-69.
"James o' Broodie" was sung by Mrs. Mary Strachen of Tulsa, who was born at Grange, Banffshire, Scotland. She came to Oklahoma in 1925 from Ontario, Canada, where she had lived since she was a little girl.
It's Jamie rose on a May morning,
Got cold water to wash his hands,
Saying, "Loose to me my two greyhounds;
They lie bound in iron bands, bands,
They lie bound in iron bands."
When Jamie's mother heard of this,
She wrung her milk-white hands,
Saying, "Jamie, for your very life's sake,
To the greenwoods dinna gang, gang,
To the greenwoods dinna gang.
But he has ta'en his good bent bow
And his arrows one by one;
And Jamie and his two greyhounds
Across the field he ran, ran,
Across the field he ran.
It's he's gone in by Monymusk,
And in by yonder fog;
And there he saw a dun deer
At sleep by a bush of broom, broom,
At sleep by a bush of broom.
The first shot that Jamie fired at her
Wounded her on the left side;
And between the waters and the wood,
Jamie's greyhounds laid her pride, pride,
Jamie's greyhounds laid her Pride.
It's he has ta'en the hide off her,
Likewise the liver and lungs;
And he fed his dogs on the venison
Till they were no fit to run, run'
Till they were no fit to run.
They ate so much of the venison
And drank so much of the blood
That Jamie and his two greyhounds,
Lay asleep as if they were dead, dead,
Lay asleep as if they were dead-
When by there came a silly auld man,
And an ill death may he dee,
For he has gone on to Ireland,
Where the seven foresters lay,lay,
Where the seven foresters lay.
It's out then spake the first forester,
He was forester over them, a'y,
Saying, "If this be Jamie o' Broodies lies,
It's into him we'll draw, draw,
It's into him we'll draw."
It's out then spake the second forester,
And a sister's son was he,
Saying, "If this be Jamie o'Broodies lies,
Ye'd better let him be, be,
Ye'd better let him be."
The first shot the forester fired
Wounded him on the left knee;
And the second shot he fired at him,
Jamie's heart blood blinded his ee,
Jamie's heart blood blinded his ee.
It's this aroused him from his sleep,
And an angry man was he,
Says, "You might have woke me from my sleep
Before my heart's blood blinded my ee,
Before my heart's blood blinded my ee."
He's leant his back against an oak,
His foot against a stone,
And he has shot the seven foresters;
He shot them all but one, one,
He shot them all but one.
And he broke three of that one's ribs,
Likewise his collarbone;
And he tied him twofold over his steed,
Bade him carry the tidings home, home,
Bade him carry the tidings home.
"My good bent bow is broken now,
And my two greyhounds are slain,
MY body lies in Monymusk,
And my hunting days are dane, dane,
And my hunting days are dane."