Lori wrote to me looking for help with a Scottish song. Here’s what she wrote…
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for such a wonderful site. I’ve had fun looking through it.
My question is whether you have come across a Scottish lullaby with the following words:
Shhh, Shhh, over the glen
Mom’s little goose and Dad’s little henMy grandmother sang this to my mother (who is now 73) when she was little wee. My mother cannot remember all the words to the song and it would be neat to find them for her.
Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Yours truly,
Lori
Please comment below if you know the words to this song.
Thanks!
Lisa
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July 21st, 2006 at 11:17 am
My mother – from Oban – now in her seventies sang these word to me. They are the words her mother sang to her and I now sing to my little girls. Hope thay are what you are looking for.
Shoo Shuggy over the glen
Daddys wee pet and mummy we hen
baby baby bunting your
dady’s gone a hunting
to fetch a little rabbit skin
to wrap his baby bunting in
hope this helps
July 21st, 2006 at 11:26 am
Thanks!
We’d love to hear this song, so if you’d like to record your mother – or you – singing it, I’d be very happy to post a recording for all the world to hear!
July 28th, 2006 at 5:11 am
My grandmother also sang the song to us:
By baby bunting
daddy’s gone a hunting
to fetch a little rabbit skin
to wrap his baby bunting in
Wondering if anyone heard of “Mr. Frog”?
-Mr. Frog took a notion one day, hmm, hmm
-Mr. Frog took a notion one day that he would take a right away, hmm, hmm
-He rode right down to miss mousy’s den, hmm, hmm
-He rode right down to miss mousy’s den, oh pray miss mousy won’t you let me in, hmm, hmm
etc.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Hi April,
Yes, I have heard of “Frog Went a Courtin'”. If you are wondering about the words or a recording here’s a site: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/frog.htm
It’s a fun song.
Lori
September 15th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
“Froggie Went a Courtin” is the American version of “Froggie He Would A-wooing Go” – a Brittish song. Below are the lyrics to “Froggie Went A Courtin”…
September 15th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
Froggy Went A Courtin’ and He Did Ride
Froggy went a courtin’ and he did ride, uh-huh
Froggy went a courtin’ and he did ride, uh-huh
Froggy went a courtin’ and he did ride
With a sword and a pistol by his side, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
He road right up to Miss Mousie’s door, uh-huh
He road right up to Miss Mousie’s door, uh-huh
He road right up to Miss Mousie’s door
Gave three loud raps, and a very big roar, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within, uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within, uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within
Miss Mousie said, I sit and spin, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee,
Said Miss Mousie, will you marry me, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat’s consent, uh-uh
Without my Uncle Rat’s consent, uh-uh
Without my Uncle Rat’s consent,
I wouldn’t marry the President, uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides, uh-huh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides, uh-huh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides
To think his niece would be a bride, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown
To buy his niece a wedding gown, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be
Way down yonder in the hollow tree, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be
Fried mosquito and a black-eyed pea, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin’ moth, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin’ moth, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin’ moth
She layed out the table cloth, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug
She brought in the water jug, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee
Sat mosquito on his knee, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea
Danced a jig with the bumbly bee, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow
She tried to dance but she didn’t know how, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick
She ate so much it made her sick, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake
Ate up all of the wedding cake, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat
Swallowed the mouse and ate up the rat, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke
A lily white dove came and swallowed him up, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin’ on the shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin’ on the shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin’ on the shelf
If you want anymore you can sing it yourself, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
To hear it sung check out http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/0159/index.html .
That recording reminds me a lot of one I love on my USA page called Old Miss Mouse which you can hear at http://www.mamalisa.com/world/usa.html#mouse
There’s more on the song at http://home.earthlink.net/~highying/froggy/froggy.html
-Lisa
November 13th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Thanks Lisa. My mother, who has passed away, taught me Mr. Frog Took a Notion One day when I was a little girl. Just last night I was lying in bed and the song came to my mind. I couldn’t recall all the words so decided to check the internet. I am thrilled to now have them and will teach my grandsons this wonderful, fun song.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Has anyone heard of this scottish song? I can’t find record of it anywhere but my mother’s grandmother who was from Scotland sang it t her:
Rock Rock bubbly jock
one by one
all you have to do to keep your wife in order
is take her up the stairs put her in the bed
call the doctor before she is dead
in comes the doctor
out goes the cat
and in comes the man with all her sugar hat (?)
oh says the doctor I’ll do the best I can
oh says johnny you’ll be a good wee man
Any background or information anyone might have on this song would be so appreciated.
Thanks!
March 6th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I just starting singing this to my daughter – my Granny, who she’s named after and is now 87, is a Scottish war bride. She comes from the Highlands, near Inverness. We sing:
Shou Shouie
All the glen
Daddy’s chook
and Mommy’s hen
March 7th, 2008 at 8:12 am
That’s amazing Heather! That Shou Shouie all the glen… is implanted in my brain as well, funny how we share this inescapable bond isn’t it. :-)
March 24th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Hi there!
I am looking for the correct words of Shoo Shaggy, and the Scottish translation. There seems to be various versions of the Lullaby, depending on which Clan you were from. Can someone help me out? My family lived in Glasgow.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Do you know a song about a frog that has a chorus that goes something like: “oh lincoln laddio” My father says that his mother used to sing this to him and we were trying to figure out what song it might be. He says that it is a song that goes on forever.
Thanks
Alison
August 25th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I’m looking for some Scottish lulllabies. Just a few soft, sweet songs for me to sing to my younger cousins. They like hearing my Gaelic/Celtic stories about the Fay and such. So I thought that they might want to hear a lullaby. I recently heard a song called Sho Heen.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Sleep my friend now I’ll watch o’er you.
The moon is here and the stars adore you.
Close your eyes and you’ll sleep just fine,
Said my guardian angel once upon a time.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Why has my angel gone from me?
The moon I fear and the stars fall on me.
I won’t close my eyes ’till the morning light.
Oh bring on the sun, I cannot rest tonight.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Sho heen, sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo.
Sleep my friend now oh I’ll waych o’er you.
The moon is here and the stars adoe you.
Close your eyes and sleep tonight.
Oh my blessed angel, here again, goodnight.
I first heard it when I was looking up “Scarborough Fair”. “Sho Heen” is beautifully sung by Kate Rusby, I think she wrote it., but I’m not sure.
If anyone has any Celtic or Gaelic lullabies they’d be willing to share with me, that would be amazing.
~Thank you :)
August 26th, 2009 at 2:58 am
We have some on Mama Lisa’s Scotland page then you’ll find some CD’s on line by typing “Celtic lullabies”
October 26th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
My mum was born in 1919, and her mum sang this scottish poem to her, i have sang it to all my children, but i know the words as. (spelling not great)
shoo shaggy orr the glen,
mummys pet and daddys hen.
and thats all we know as my mum forgot the other verses!
would love to know all the words
Patsy
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Oh, these are beautiful lyrics all! My favorite scottish Lulluby is Dream Angus, which I sing to my youngest sister to get her to go to sleep. Once, several years ago, I found the beautiful legend behind teh story, but now I can’t find it any more. Does anyone know where I can find this story? It’s something about a man and a girl who came and sang to him so he could sleep, and somehow she turned into a swan… I can’t remember it all.
Thanks.
April 6th, 2010 at 12:12 am
My grandmother was born in Scotland and used to sing us lullabies and some funny Scottish songs. One that was particularly funny, but which I cannot find on the internet, was The Man Below the Bed: “Woosh Woosh. Hold your tongue for mind I tell you joke. He’s just come doon the lum the nu (???) and ram you in his poke. Cuddly doon. Sleep soon for Jenky must be gled. For mind you he’s an awful man. The man below the bed.
April 26th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I remember this from my childhood and sang it to my own children and then to my grandson, he’s nearly three and now we sing it to his wee sister – there are only a few words but repeated endlessly can usually send a baby off to sleep! It goes –
“Oasy, posy, down the glen
Mummy’s pet and Daddy’s hen”
Another one I remember but would love to know other verses of is –
“If a bogeyman should come at night
When you’re tucked in bed without a light
Eyes like saucers give you such a fright
How would you like to be a baby girl?”
May 29th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
My Gran used to sing me that song and my Mum too before bed…but like you guys ,no one can remember any words past…”Shoo Shaggy O’er The Glen, Mummy’s pet and Daddy’s hen……
I would love to hear a recording of it . and to know the whole song and it’s author.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
So glad to see so many people interested in classic folk music and passing on our cultural history to our children!
August 8th, 2010 at 7:16 am
My mum sang this to us and also to our children. It went like this
“Shoo Shuggie O’er the Glen, Mummy’s pet and Daddies hen and Gran’s bonnie lassie. Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie Waine, bonnie, bonnie lassie.” I think that the last part might be her own wee spin on it.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
My granny from Perth, Scotland used to sing this to us:
She shuggie o’er the glen
Mommy’s pet and Daddy’s hen
And Granny’s wee bonnie lassie
The first line means “She runs over the glen (meadow).”
January 24th, 2011 at 11:24 am
This one has been in my family for a long time. My great grandparents (from Glasgow) use to sing it while bouncing the wee babes on their foot (cross your legs & baby sits on foot then you bounce them)
Shoo Shuggie over the glen
Mama’s pet & Dada’s hen
With a high shoo shoo (bounce them up high)
and a low shoo shoo (bounce them low)
Shoo Shuggie over the glen
December 9th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Just wondering about a lullaby that my mum sang to me, her parents were out of Aberdeen . Recall as follows
“he’s got lovely brown eyes and chestnut hair
Little (insert name’ first and last)
Asking the Lord that he might spare,
Little (insert names)
See how he runs
Scrambles the floor
Catching each sunbeam that enters the door
Little (insert names)
For the girls it was”
She’s got lovely blue eyes and golden hair”
May 12th, 2012 at 5:07 am
Another verse to if the bogey man,
Oh good evening pray how do you do, we are babies come to sign to you, cheeks like roses hair thats all a curl, how’d you like to be a baby girl.
If the Doctors spectacle on nose, felt your pulse and said if I supose, a dose of Castoroil is the very best, how’d you like to be a baby girl
April 9th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
My Mom’s 90th is coming up and I thought it would be fun to have a recording of Shoo Shuggie, which her mother (from Glasgow; Lanark, actually) sang to her, she sang to us, and I sing to my grandchildren. My Grandma sang:
Shoo, shuggie,
Doon a glen,
Mummy’s pet an’
Daddy’s hen.
Shoo Shuggie,
Shuggie shoo,
A’ dusky
doon thru
Don’t know for sure what it means, though! I read the comment by Marlee and loved the idea of doing it the “Banbury Cross” way. I have a new grandchild coming in a few days, and I think I’ll do the Shoo Suggie as she suggests!
May 4th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Our great gran of 97 sang this to our daughter in the first few months of our daughter’s life before Gran Jean very sadly passed away. We were thinking the words were shoo shaggy and like everyone else were unsure of what followed. Gran Jean was the most amazing person and we will always cherish this little song xxx
August 1st, 2013 at 10:09 pm
Linda wrote:
“Thank you for having me be part of the group. I finally found a song, Gaelic in nature, that was sung by my mother,( who just passed away) and her sisters to my grandma , when she passed away. It was sung by children in school yards, I guess.
I want to know the author, but to no avail…or at least where it came from. As written by my aunt, who is one of my mother’s sisters, it goes like this: Shoo shaggie–or’ the glenn
Baby and her speckled hen Bow wow wow — the pull-i-ing Sitting on the sea–wee–weed gross whis-li-ing Dog save the ki-wi-ing.
They sang it, but I don’t have the music. There are more verses, but this is all I can get.”
August 1st, 2013 at 10:40 pm
There are so many versions of this song, after reading the previous comments. Is there any way of finding the origin of this song?
May 29th, 2014 at 4:40 am
My Mother, born in Dalmuir in 1920, who passed away in 2010, heard the lullaby “Shoo Shaggy Down the Glen
Mummy’s Pet and Daddy’s Hen”
sung to her from her Mother. I passed it on to all my children, born in France, and my daughter has passed it on in turn to her own children. I hope they will do the same.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:57 am
My mother used to sing “Shoo Shaggy” to my sister and I. It was passed down to her from her ma and grandmother. Her grandmother, my great-grandmother, was of Dalmuir like the above posting Mr. Bennett’s grandmother. My great-grandmother was born there in 1911 and came to the States at eighteen, where she later had four “bairns” of her own and lived to be a centenarian.
I was always keen to learn what the song actually meant and what the “rest” of the lyrics were, but it would appear there are none for certain. The meanings, however, I’ve now deciphered as such…
What I remember my mother singing…
“Shoo shaggy/O’th a glen/Mommy’s pet and Daddy’s hen”
The oldest record I can find of it is from Robert Ford’s “A Book for Bairns and Big Folk” (1904)
“Shoo shuggie, owre the glen.
Mammie’s pet, and daddie’s hen.”
(http://www.gutenberg.org/files/24271/24271-h/24271-h.htm)
From Jamieson’s Dictionary of Scottish Language:
Shoo-“To produce a swinging motion”
Shuggie-“To move from side to side”
Pet-“Good days among foul weather”
Henny-“honey”
From Wiktionary Glossary of Scottish slang and jargon:
hen-“term of endearment for a woman, equivalent to ‘love’ or’ darling’ (“How ye dain the day, hen?”)”
From Wikipedia
glen-“a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped, or one with a watercourse running though it.” or “Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands”
There is a small clip of the song at this link. It was recorded in 1959 for the School of Scottish Studies. It is not very musical, but it gives the tone of it, as I know it. http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/61439/2;jsessionid=16B963FB308109D573438386A062F4FB
My mother would sing it over and over again until I fell asleep; I still find myself humming it in times of needed comfort.
All the best and best regards,
Alexis
October 30th, 2014 at 9:08 am
Thanks for your illuminating comments Alexis, and the precious link to the recording of Shoo Shaggy.
What really fascinated me, during my research on this song, was that it came from such a tiny part of Scotland, where it had obviously been handed down from generation to generation.
Up to us now to keep this gentle and tender little song alive for future generations of Scots bairns, wherever they be in the world.
All my best wishes,
Alan
July 8th, 2015 at 11:37 pm
Hello,
I stumbled upon this thread while looking for information about a lullaby. My grandmother was born in Scotland but moved to Canada when she was nine. Many years later, My grandfather went to visit her family while he was stationed overseas and he brought this lullaby back with him. He said that one of my grandmother’s cousins sang it to her baby:
“Bonnie blue eyes and golden hair
Mommy’s baby girl
Ask the lord if he will spare
Mommy’s baby girl
See how she crawls
Scrambles and falls
Catching the sunbeams that lie (light?) on the wall;
Nobody knows how I adore
Mommy’s baby girl”
So this song has been passed on through generation after generation in my family, and I just love the story behind it. Does anyone know this lullaby? Has it changed much throughout the years since my Grandfather brought it to Canada?
Christy A
July 24th, 2015 at 11:15 am
My mother sang
“Shoogie shaggie
O’er the glen
Mommy’s pet
And daddy’s hen.”
She was born in Edinburg in 1915 and came to the U.S. in 1928.
I sang it to my own babies and will sing it to my grandbabies.
July 24th, 2015 at 11:17 am
P.S. Forget to mention:
In my memory, I associate it more with being pushed on a swing than being sung to sleep.
September 16th, 2015 at 11:19 pm
Agreed on the swing association. Also, my Gran (b. 1908, Greenock), sang “mommy’s pet and daddy’s chooky hen.” 😊
November 25th, 2015 at 4:08 am
Hiya
My father used to sing to this to me when I was young as I fell asleep (I’m 20 now), from songs his Scottish mother used to sing to him; I’m sure I’m not remembering the words correctly or in their entirety but this is how I remember some of the lyrics fondly:
Shotgun shaggy ol’ th glen, Mammy’s duck and Daddy’s hen
I’m sure this is irrelevant but I hope in some obscure way it helps!
March 14th, 2016 at 9:01 am
Hello,
Alexis Whiting (post from 2014) has it right. My parents are from Glasgow and Kirkcaldy and emigrated to Canada in the late 60’s; my Grannie moved from Scotland to Canada to help raise me from birth to five years (then returned to Scotland) and I had ‘Shoo Shuggi’ sung to me regularly as both baby and toddler – being soothed to sleep while being rocked in someone’s arms. That’s what ‘shoo shuggi’ means; being rocked and swung gently. ‘Pet’ and ‘hen’ are used as terms of endearment, like calling someone ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’.
The Glasgow version:
Shoo Shuggi, owre the glen;
Mammy’s pet and Daddy’s hen.
That’s it for words, only the one verse. Repeat as necessary.
June 22nd, 2016 at 2:10 am
I’m so pleased to find this post as I have often wondered what this song means. My Nanna, my great-grandmother, used to sing this as a lullaby to my mother, then later to me and I sang it to my boys and now my granddaughters. My Nanna’s family emigrated to New Zealand in the mid-nineteenth century. I always thought there would be more verses or lines to the song that my family had forgotten. I wonder if we all sing it to the same tune.
June 22nd, 2016 at 2:13 am
I meant to add that we sing it with ‘thro the glen’ presumably a pronunciation of through
July 31st, 2016 at 4:29 am
Of all the interesting contributions from 2006 to 2016. two strike a chord;
A couple of lines from Andrew Wood 2011:
“See how he runs, scrambles the floor
Catching each sunbeam that enters the door”
And from Christy 2015:
“See how she crawls, scrambles and falls,
caching the sunbeams that light on the wall.
Nobody knows how I adore Mommy’s baby girl.
The version in our family was very similar:
“See how he runs …….(?) the floor
Catching each sunbeam that enters the door.
Nobody knows how I adore Daddy’s baby-boy.”
Thank you for the help.
Jim Malia
August 13th, 2016 at 11:11 pm
My dad sand “Shoo Shawgie, O’er the glen, Daddy’s pet and mommy’s hen” and then the second verse to it (that he sang) was:
“Wee chickee Birdie
Too-rah-loo-rah-loo
Laid an eggie on the windowsill”
My dad’s Dad, Aunts and grandparents immigrated from Motherwell (Near Edinburgh?) in the early 1900s, and I think he learned this from them
January 25th, 2017 at 11:58 pm
I am still in Scotland.
I remember the first verse as
See how she/ he plays,
Scrambles the floor catching the sunbeams that enter the door.
Nobody knows how I adore Daddy’s / Mummy’s/ Grandma’s/ Grandads
baby boy / girl.
I am missing a verse from my memory.
The 3rd verse is.
Now the years have gone by and the child has grown up ( a Man / Woman ) and now she / he, has kids / bairns of her own and still nobody knows how I adore Mummy’s / Daddy’s/ Grannys / Grandads, Baby Girl / Boy
March 20th, 2017 at 4:41 pm
Hello all! I’m writing from Montreal, Canada in hopes that someone remembers the proper words to a song my Scottish Gran used to sing to me when she came visiting. I think the title is, “Wait for Me Dolly”. Here are the lyrics as I recall them. Would anyone happen to know the original tune?
I have a dolly
She stands upon her toes
She has two pretty blue eyes
And her name is Rose.
Refrain:
Wait for me dolly
Wait for me dolly
Wait for me dolly
And we’ll all have some tea.
Sometimes she goes to a party
And puts on her grand clothes
She sits up like a lady
My darling Rose
Refrain
How old is your dolly?
Very old I suppose
Indeed I cannot tell you
For Nobody knows.
February 8th, 2018 at 9:42 pm
Tanya wrote:
Lyrics to “Oh Good Evening”:
I’m trying to keep track of songs my mother sang to me when I was little and came across your site. Here are the lyrics I remember…
Oh good evening how do you do
We are children come to sing to you
Cheeks like roses, hair all in a curl
So how would you like to be a baby girly
When the doctor spectacles on nose
Feels your pulse and says well I suppose
A bottle of castor oil would do you the world of good
So how would you like to be a baby girly
When Father Christmas brings you lots of toys
Dolls to hush and drums to make a noise
Balls to toss and skipping ropes to twirl
So how would you like to be a baby girly
When your mother gives you smacks smacks
Sometimes here and sometimes on the back
Well my word she knows the way to smack
So how would you like to be a baby girly
When the bogey man comes at night
Eyes like saucers giving you a fright
Tuck tuck tight without a light
So how would you like to be a baby girly
May 20th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
I am from Kentucky and so is my mother, no one from Scotland, however she sang the lullabye to me and my siblings as her mother did. It is one I have seen mentioned several times and I wondered if anyone knew the name of it? She has blue eyes and golden hair mommy’s baby girl….
December 19th, 2018 at 10:15 am
This is great! My Dad (from Dundee, born 1918) used to sing this to me when I was wee in the early 1960s – never heard it anywhere else until now!
Daddy’s baby boy,
See how he grows,
Scrambles the floor,
Catches the sunbeams that come through the door,
No-one knows
How I adore,
Daddy’s baby boy
I used to think it was MY song, as in our back-kitchen, the door out was south-facing and sunbeams would shine through the keyhole onto the floor.
Iain Gow
Jim Malia Says:
July 31st, 2016 at 4:29 am
Of all the interesting contributions from 2006 to 2016. two strike a chord;
A couple of lines from Andrew Wood 2011:
“See how he runs, scrambles the floor
Catching each sunbeam that enters the door”
And from Christy 2015:
“See how she crawls, scrambles and falls,
caching the sunbeams that light on the wall.
Nobody knows how I adore Mommy’s baby girl.
The version in our family was very similar:
“See how he runs …….(?) the floor
Catching each sunbeam that enters the door.
Nobody knows how I adore Daddy’s baby-boy.”
Thank you for the help.
Jim Malia
December 19th, 2018 at 10:20 am
This is what my mother used to sing, having heard her mother sing it:
Wee chookie-birdie,
Toll-loll-loll,
Laid an egg on the windowsoll, (!)
The windowsoll began tae crack,
Wee chookie-birdie
Roared and grat.
Still makes me smile!
Iain
Deb Balfour Buonocore Says:
August 13th, 2016 at 11:11 pm
My dad sand “Shoo Shawgie, O’er the glen, Daddy’s pet and mommy’s hen” and then the second verse to it (that he sang) was:
“Wee chickee Birdie
Too-rah-loo-rah-loo
Laid an eggie on the windowsill”
My dad’s Dad, Aunts and grandparents immigrated from Motherwell (Near Edinburgh?) in the early 1900s, and I think he learned this from them
May 9th, 2020 at 12:03 pm
I have my Grans version of Shoo Shaggy. Gran was born Glasgow 1983 and sang this to me a lot as a child. Correct Scottish slang or spelling I’m not sure of but this is how I remember.
Shoo Shaggie Oér the glen
Mummies pet and Daddies hen
Wee chookie birdie shol lol lol
Laid an egg on the windie sill
The windie sill began to crack
And the wee chookie birdie roared and qwacked
With a high shoogie shoo
And a low shoogie shoo
And a high shoogie shoo to the bargain
For off you must run or else you’ll get a smack on the …
The last word is obvious but Gran never actually said it, she just slightly smack our rear ends.
Cheers and hope this is what folks are looking for
Caroline
Australia
June 11th, 2020 at 5:57 pm
LaNae wrote:
I grew up listening to a song… that I can find no trace of anywhere. And I KNOW I have changed the tune over time. It was on a Celtic lullaby cassette tape… I shall include the lyrics and if you EVER find it…I would be intensely grateful.
Like stars love the night sky, and the leaves love the trees,
like a child loves a lullaby, and the sky loves the sea,
like the valley loves the river, and the clouds love the wind,
I love thee,
Like time loves forever, and waves love the sand,
like winter loves Springtime and grass loves the land,
like rain loves the garden, and eyes love to see,
I love you forever and ever as ever can be.
in the version I listened to… that last portion was repeated, followed buy the first half of the first verse, ending without resolution, making it stick in my mind… as an absolute favorite.
Anyway if you know it… or if you ever find it… let me know please?
August 20th, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Caroline Wilson wrote:
“I was reading the various versions of Shoo Shaggy.
Here is what I remember of my Grandmother’s version. Gran Isobella McAllister of Govan, Scotland born 1893 sang this to me:
Shoo Shaggy
O’ér the glen
Mummies pet and Daddies hen
Wee chookie birdie shol lol lol
Liad an egg on the windie sill
The windie sill began to crack
And the wee chookie birdie roared and qwacked
With a high shoogy shoo
And a low shoogy shoo
And a high shoogy shoo to the bargain
For off you must run or else you’ll get a smack on the …
Not sure of the spelling but best I can do.
The last word is obvious but Gran never said it just lightly patted the rear end.
Cheers & hope it helps.
Caroline”