Annotation:Shame fa the gear and the blathrie o't
X:1 T:Shame fa the gear T:Blathrie o'it, The M:C L:1/8 R:Air B:Chambers - Songs of Scotland Prior to Burns (1890, p. 393) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D (D>E)|F2 (d<B) (A<F) (E>F)|(D2 A>B) A2 D E |F2 d B (AF) E D| F2 B>c B2 zd|A>B d>e f2 e d |e d e f A2 d>e| f2 e d B2 d D|F2 (B>c) B2||
SHAME FA THE GEAR AND THE BLATHRIE O'T. AKA and see "Blathrie o’it (The)." Scottish, Air (whole time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. Chambers (1890) writes that 'Sham fa' the gear and the blethrie o't' is an old Scottish proverb, trotted out on the occasion when 'conduct has been unduly affected by sordid considerations', as when a drunkard bemoans his poverty or a young woman marries an old man for his money. Blethrie means 'senselessness'. Kelly, in his Scottish Proverbs (1721), says it was an old song in his time. David Herd printed another version of the song in his Relicks (1776) that goes:
When I think on this world's pelf,
And the little wee share I ha'e o't myself,
And how the lass that wants it is by the lads forgot,
May the shame fa' the gear and the blethrie o't!
Jackie was the laddie that held the pleuch,
But now he's got gowd and gear eneuch,
He thinks nae mair o' me that wears the plaidin' coat;
May the shame fa' the gear and the blethrie o't.
Jenny was the lassie that muckiest the byre,
But now she is clad in her silken attire;
And Jackie says he lo'es her, and me has forgot--
May the shame fa' the gear and the blethrie o't.
But all this shall never daunton me,
Sae lang as I keep my fancy free;
For the lad that's sad inconstant is no worth a groat--
May the shame fa' the gear and the blethrie o't.
See note for "annotation:Blathrie o’it (The)" for more.