Origins
The opening verse of the song bears a strong resemblance to the Scottish song, Licht Bob's Lassie, whose opening verses mirror the song in both notional content and form:
First when I cam' tae the toon
They ca'd me young and bonnie
Noo they've changed my name
Ca' me the licht bob's honey
First when I cam' tae the toon
They ca'd me young and sonsie
Noo they've changed my name
They ca' me the licht bob's lassie
Licht Bob's Lassie would appear to tell a story about a camp follower or prostitute:
I'll die my petticoats red
And face them wi' the yellow
I'll tell the dyser lad
That the licht bob I'm tae follow
Feather beds are soft
And painted rooms are bonnie
I wad leave them a'
And jog along wi' Johnny
Oh my heart's been sair
Shearin' Craigie's corn
I winnae see him the nicht
But I'll see him the morn
The imagery about dyeing petticoats is shared by the Irish Gaelic lament Siúil A Rúin.
Read more about this topic: Katie Cruel
Famous quotes containing the word origins:
“The origins of clothing are not practical. They are mystical and erotic. The primitive man in the wolf-pelt was not keeping dry; he was saying: “Look what I killed. Aren’t I the best?””
—Katharine Hamnett (b. 1948)
“Lucretius
Sings his great theory of natural origins and of wise conduct; Plato
smiling carves dreams, bright cells
Of incorruptible wax to hive the Greek honey.”
—Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962)
“Grown onto every inch of plate, except
Where the hinges let it move, were living things,
Barnacles, mussels, water weeds—and one
Blue bit of polished glass, glued there by time:
The origins of art.”
—Howard Moss (b. 1922)