My Rolling Eye- A. Smith (Perth) c.1850 Ford
[From "Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland; With Many Old and Familiar Melodies" edited by Robert Ford, 1899. This version of "Waukrife Mammy" is titled after the chorus. It's dated about 1850. Notice that the lassie's lover is a soldier (sodger)-- "the moon is shining clearly," are taken from, or found in, the first revision "Maid and Soldier." A number of versions have "rolling eye" but it's rare. Ford's notes follow:
R. Matteson 2018]
There are many people living who vividly remember an odd character known as "Rolling Eye " or "Singing Sandy," who from forty to fifty years ago regularly visited the villages of Perthshire and Fifeshire in the capacity of an itinerant musician, and sang only this song. It was customary for Sandy (his real name, I believe, was Alexander Smith, and he hailed originally from Freuchie) in the summer months to have his hat profusely adorned with gay-coloured ribbons and natural flowers. His antics, too, when singing were particularly lively and attractive, and a tremendous slap on the thigh with his hand always, as he started the chorus, was the signal for those standing about to join in. Wherever he went he was followed by a crowd of delighted children, for whose attachment he had the utmost esteem.
MY ROLLING EYE. taken from Alexander Smith of Perthshire about 1850.
As I gaed up yon Hieland hill,
I met a bonnie lassie,
She looked at me and I at her,
And oh, but she was saucy.
CHORUS With my rolling eye,
Fal the diddle eye,
Rolling eye, dum derry,
With my rolling eye.
"Where are you going, my bonnie lass?
Where are you going, my lammie?"
Right modestly she answered me?
"An errand to my mammie."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"Where do you live, my bonnie lass?
Where do you won, my lammie?"
Right modestly she answered me?
"In a wee house wi' my mammie."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"What is your name, my bonnie lass?
What is your name, my lammie?"
Right modestly she answered me?
"My name is Bonnie Annie."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"How old are you, my bonnie lass?
How old are you, my lammie?"
Rightly modestly she answered me?
"I'm sixteen years come Sunday."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"Where do you sleep, my bonnie lass?
Where do you sleep, my lammie?"
Right modestly she answered me?
"In a wee bed near my mammie."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"If I should come to your board-end
When the moon is shining clearly,
Will you rise and let me in
That the auld wife mayna hear me?"
With my rolling eye, etc.
"If you will come to my bower door
When the moon is shining clearly,
I will rise and lat you in,
And the auld wife winna hear ye."
With my rolling eye, etc.
When I gaed up to her bower door,
I found my lassie wauken,
But lang before the grey morn cam',
The auld wife heard us talkin'
With my rolling eye, etc.
It's weary fa' the waukrife cock
May the foumart lay his crawing,
He wauken'd the auld wife frae her sleep,
A wee blink ere the dawing.
With my rolling eye, etc.
She gaed to the fire to blaw the coal,
To see if she would ken me,
But I dang the auld runt in the fire,
And bade my heels defend me.
With my rolling eye, etc.
"Oh, sodger, you maun marry me,
And now's the time or never;
Oh, sodger, you maun marry me,
Or I am done for ever."
With my rolling eye, etc.
"Blink ower the burn, my bonnie lass,
Blink ower the burn, my lammie,
Ye are a sweet and kindly queen,
For a' yer waukrife minnie."
With my rolling eye,
Fal the diddle eye,
Rolling eye, dum derry,
With my rolling eye.