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I’m A Stranger In This Country

Trad

I’m a stranger in this country from a far and distant lan’
I went into an ale-house for half an ‘oor to spen’
And as I sat a-drinking, a-musing in my glass
Wha stepped in but an aul’ Scottish lass

Laddie fal-a-la doodle aye doh
Fa-la-la doodle ay

There’s a glass o’ good liquor, o’ raspberry wine
I’m a stranger in this country an’ I wish that you were mine
For I’ve got good lodgings and away wi’ me you’ll go
An’ we’ll push a fortune without no delay

Laddie fal-a-la doodle aye doh
Fa-la-la doodle ay

We rolled and I toiled and I took her in my airms
I kissed her and I blessed her for to love her happy chairms
An’ a’ that lee-lang nicht wi’ my lassie I did stay
I didn’t leave my lassie unto the break of day

Laddie fal-a-la doodle aye doh
Fa-la-la doodle ay

It wis early next morning I ran to catch the train
I left my bonnie lassie in the station to remain
In drawin’ out her handkerchief, the tear dropped fae her e’e
“O, dinna gyang an’ leave me ma darger loon”, cried she

Laddie fal-a-la doodle aye doh
Fa-la-la doodle ay

When you return to your auld native lan’
Aye mind the lassie whatever you’re doing in han’
And as I sat a-drinking, a-musing in my glass
I drank “good health” to my auld Scottish lass

Laddie fal-a-la doodle aye doh
Fa-la-la doodle ay

Casual relationships, such as that depicted in this piece, must have been the rule when the old system of hiring labour prevailed. In agricultural areas like the North-East, where trade unionism had little hold, these conditions are a recent memory, which probably accounts for the large number of songs of this type. The Darger Lad, as Greig calls it, appears in his unpublished manuscripts and, although it is always foolhardy to make this claim for a folk song, it seems to be unknown outside the Scottish North-East.

darger loon = day labourer lad

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