Rolling eye- Singing Sandy (Scot) 1882 Chambers
[Fragment from Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts - Page 501, 1882.
R. Matteson 2018]
WILL STOUT THE PARISH BEADLE. [1882, From Chambers’ Journal.]
A CHARACTER.
We can well remember, too, the pleasure with which we children welcomed the visits of “hunch-backed ” Singing Sandy, a lingering remnant of the wandering minstrel fraternity. Too lazy in his younger days to work, Sandy had gradually acquired wandering habits, into which he fell the more readily from being slightly weak in intellect. It was a standing tradition among the boys that his “hump" was a made-up one ; and certainly Sandy knew how to produce effects. On arriving at a village, his first proceeding was to enter some cottage where he saw roses were plentiful, and get the goodwife to fix a garland of them — the reddest being preferred — round his old battered Kilmarnock bonnet, when forth he issued with a kind of boyish exultation, flourishing his stick round his head, and delighting the hearts of the children with the song of “Rolling eye:”—
Oh, whaur are ye gaun, my bonnie bonnie lass?
Oh, whaur are ye gaun, my honie
Right modestly she answered me,
An errand to my mammie.
With my rolling eye, faul the diddle eye,
With my rolling eye dum dary.
From the popularity of this song, with its unfailing chorus, to which Sandy danced as vigorously as his stiff joints and rheumatic frame would allow, he was generally known by the name of “Rolling-eye,” and the song was regarded as in some way his own especial property. “Johnnie Cope’” was another of his songs; but never took the place of “Rolling-eye” in the children's estimation.