Annotation:Watson's Scots Measure

Back to Watson's Scots Measure

WATSON'S SCOTS MEASURE. AKA – "Watson's Scotch Measure." AKA and see "Highland lad my love was born (A)," "O an ye were dead guidman" "I Wish that You were Dead Good Man," "O Gin Ye were Dead Gudeman," "There was a Lad (was born in Kyle)," "White Cockade (1) (The)." Scottish, Scottish Measure. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Emmerson (1971) thinks that Watson must have been a dancer or musician, else the honorific 'Mr.' would have been inserted. “There was a lad born I Kyle” is a title and line from a Robert Burns song set to the melody of “Watson’s.” Gow (1799) calls it “A very old tune.”

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 26, p. 128. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 1), 1799; p. 5. Henderson (Flowers of Scottish Melody), 1935 (appears as “There was a lad born in Kyle”). Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 152. Manson (Hamilton's Universal Tune Book, vol. 1), 1844; p. 129. McGlashan (Collection of Scots Measures), 17. McGlashan (Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1778; p. 7.

Recorded sources: Culburnie Records, Alasdair Fraser – "Legacy of The Scottish Fiddle, volume 2" (2004).

See also listing at:
Hear Alasdair Fraser's recording on youtube.com [1]