Scotland Man- Landers (NC) 1960s Recording
[From the 1963 recording High Atmosphere (Rounder) and Dark Holler (Folkways). A member of the Madison County singers of Sodom/Big Laurel, NC, George Landers (1886 - 1969) lived in a small wood house by the road that leads to Peter Gott's place. Peter got the elderly Landers to play banjo again (notes Dark Holler).
Clearly this dates back to the early 1900s through him.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
THE SCOTLAND MAN - sung by George Landers, Marshall, N.C., c. 1963 on High Atmosphere (Rounder) and Dark Holler (Folkways).
[Listen: Scotland Man- George Landers]
[banjo]
Come in, come in, my own true love
And stay all the night with me
For I have a bed and a very fine bed
I'll give it up to thee, thee
I'll give it up to you.
I can't come in, I ain't a-coming in
To stay out all the night with you
For I have a wife in Old Scotland
This night she weeps for me, me
This night she weeps for me.
She drew her little penknife
She pressed it through his heart
She cried out with her low, low voice:
"There's a dead man in my house, house
There's a dead man in my house."
She picked him up by the middle very small
She picked him up by his feet
She tossed him o'er in a deep dry well
Just about eighteen feet, feet
Just about eighteen feet
She was settin' in at her poor little door
Thinking on what she had done
She saw a pretty little bird
All on the leaves so green, green
All on the leaves so green
Come here, come here, my pretty little bird
And perch all on my thumb
I have a cage and a very fine cage
I will give it up to thee, thee
I will give it up to you
I can't come down, no I ain't a-coming there
To perch – said - all on your thumb
For [I'm] 'fraid you'd rob me of my tender little heart
Just like the Scotland man, man
Just like the Scotland man
If I had my bow and arrow
My arrow and my string
I'd shoot you right to your tender little heart
Just like the Scotland man, man
Just like the Scotland man.
If you had your bow and arrow
Your arrow and your string
I'd fly away to the heaven so high
I'd never be seen any more, more
I'd never be seen any more