Annotation:Donald Couper and His Man

Back to 

 DONALD COUPER AND HIS MAN. Scottish, Reel (2/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The reel appears to derive from the same tune that is printed by Henry Playford as "Donald Cooper," ("Daniel Cowper") printed in 1695 in the 9th edition of the Dancing Master. A version also appears in Thomas D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy, vol. v (1719), under the title "Good honest Trooper take warning by Donald Cooper" (which Stenhouse calls "an execrable or indecent ballad...written by Tom Durfey or some of his Grub Street friends"). Words to the old song "Daniel Couper and His Man" go: Donald Couper and his man, They've gane to the fair; They've gane to coort a bonny lass,  But fint a man wis there; But he haes gotten an auld wife, An she's come hirplin hame; An she's fa'n ower the buffet-stool, An brake her rumple-bane. Sing, hey Donald, how Donald, Hey Donald Couper; He's gane awa to coort a wife, An he's come hame ifhoot her. [David Herd] The tune appears to predate its appearance in latter-19th century collections, however, as it receives mention in a satirical poem about the Highlanders written on the "Highland Host" by a certain Colonel Cleland in 1697: Trumpets sounded, skeens were glancing Some were 'Donald Couper' dancing.  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Aird (Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs), vol. II, c. 1785; No. 9, p. 4. Johnson (Scots Musical Museum, vol. IV), 1792; p. 344.  Recorded sources: Flying Fish FF358, Robin Williamson - "Legacy of the Scottish Harpers, vol. 1" (1984).

Back to