Ewan MacColl
A Braw Wooer
[Verse 1]
Last May a braw wooer cam down the lang glen
And sair wi' his love he did deave me;
I said there was naething I hated like men:
The deuce gae wi 'm to believe me, believe me
The deuce gae wi 'm to believe me

[Verse 2]
He spak o' the darts in my bonie black een
And vow'd for my love he was diein;
I said he might die when he liked for Jean:
The Lord forgie me for liein, for liein
The Lord forgie me for liein!

[Verse 3]
A weel-stocked mailen, himsel for the laird
And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers:
I never loot on that I ken'd it, or car'd
But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers
But thought I might hae waur offers

[Verse 4]
But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or less
The deil tak his taste to gae near her!
He up the lang loan to my black cousin Bess
Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her, could bear her
Guess ye how, the jad! could bear her
[Verse 5]
But a' the niest week I fretted wi' care
I gaed to the tryste o' Dalgarnock
And wha but my fine fickle lover was there
I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock
I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock

[Verse 6]
But owre my left shoulder I gae him a blink
Lest neibors might say I was saucy;
My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink
And vow'd I was his dear lassie, dear lassie
And vow'd I was his dear lassie

[Verse 7]
I spier'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet
Gin she had recover'd her hearin
And how her new shoon fit her auld shachl't feet—
But, heavens! how he fell a swearin, a swearin
But, heavens! how he fell a swearin

[Verse 8]
He begg'd, for gudesake, I wad be his wife
Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow:
So e'en to preserve the poor body in life
I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow
I think I maun wed him to-morrow