Bluegrass Messengers

Johnny Scot- E. Sprague (NB) 1928 Barry C

[Fragment from British Ballads from Maine; 1929, Barry Eckstorm and Smyth. See Barry's notes on opening page. This clearly is derived from Barry A, Ernest's father. Barry comments:

"It was the chance singing of this fragment, interesting as illustrating the transmutations of a ballad, that enabled us to place and recover the two good texts of "Johnny Scot" listed as A, B."

R. Matteson 2015]

C. [Johnny Scot] From Mr. Ernest Sprague, son of Mr. John Sprague, Milltown, New Brunswick, September 27, 1928.

1 He looked east, he looked west,
He look-ed all round,
And there he saw his own true-love,
In the window looking out.

2 "Are you the Duke of Wellington,
Or James, my Scottish king?
Or are you yet my bastard son
From Limerick's Lake come in?"

3 "I'm not the Duke of Wellington,
Nor James, your Scottish king,
Nor I'm not yet your bastard son
From Limerick's Lake come in."