The Book of Scottish Song/Cauld Kail in Aberdeen 1
Cauld Kail in Aberdeen.
[The popular tune of "Cauld Kail in Aberdeen" is not very old—at least it cannot be traced in any of the older musical collections. The following are the earliest words to the tune, and are given in Herd's Collection of 1776. Perhaps the reader may detect in them the meaning of the now proverbial phrase, "Cauld kail in Aberdeen, and custocks in Strathbogie."
Cauld kail in Aberdeen,
And custocks in Strathbogie,
But yet I fear they'll cook o'er soon,
And never warm the cogie.
The lasses about Bogie gicht,
Their limbs they are sae clean and tight,
That if they were but girded right,
They'll dance the reel o' Bogie.
Wow, Aberdeen, what did you mean,
Sae young a maid to woo, sir?
I'm sure it was nae joke to her,
Whate'er it was to you, sir.
For lasses now are no sae blate
But they ken auld folk's out o' date,
And better playfare can they get
Than custocks in Strathbogie.
The "Bogie," here and elsewhere celebrated, is a stream in Aberdeenshire, which runs through the beautiful strath or valley called Strathbogie. It is not known who was the author of the following convivial song, but it is alluded to by Burns as an old song.]
There's cauld kail in Aberdeen,
And custocks in Stra'bogie,
Where ilka lad maun ha'e his lass,
But I maun ha'e my cogie.
For I maun ha'e my cogie, Sirs,
I canna want my cogie;
I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog
For a' the wives in Bogie.
Johnny Smith has got a wife
Wha scrimps him o' his cogie:
But were she mine, upon my life,
I'd dook her in a bogie.
For I maun ha'e my cogie, sirs,
I canna want my cogie;
I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog
For a' the wives in Bogie.
Twa three todlin' weans they ha'e,
The pride o' a' Stra'bogie;
Whene'er the totums cry for meat,
She curses aye his cogie;
Crying, Wae betide the three-gir'd cog!
Oh, wae betide the cogie!
It does mair skaith than a' the ills
That happen in Stra'bogie.
She fand him ance at Willie Sharp's;
And, what the maist did laugh at,
She brak the bicker, spilt the drink,
And tightly gouff'd his haffet,
Crying, Wae betide the three-gir'd cog!
Oh, wae betide the cogie,
It does mair skaith than a' the ills
That happen in Stra'bogie.
Yet here's to ilka honest soul
Wha'll drink wi' me a cogie,
And for ilk silly whinging fool,
We'll dook him in a bogie.
For I maun ha'e my cogie, sirs,
I canna want my cogie:
I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog
For a the queans in Bogie.