Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
There Was a Birdie

There Was a Birdie

There Was a Birdie

     1.
     There wiz a birdie cam t' Scotland,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     For t' push its fortune,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle.
     Fin the birdie laid an egg,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     Filthy fa' the greedy gled
     Eet a' the birdie's egg,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle.

     2.
     There wiz a birdie cam' t' Scotland,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     For t' push its fortune,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle.
     An the birdie laid an egg,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     An oot the egg there cam a bird,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     An the birdie flew away,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle,
     An its mother socht it a' day,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle;
     An she got it in a bog,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle;
     An she lickit it wi' a scrog,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle;
     An she took the birdie hame,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle;
     An laid it doon upon a stane,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle;
     An pickit oot baith its een,
     Hodle, dodle, hodle, dodle.

     3.
     A birdie cam' till Scotland,
       Hoddle-doddle, hoddle-doddle;
     For to seek her fortune,
       Hoddle-doddle, hoddle-doddle;

     And she got it i' the bog,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.,
     And she paid it wi' a scrog,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.

     The birdie laid ae egg,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.,
     And she claikit ae birdie,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.

     The birdie it ran away,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.,
      Its mither socht it a' day,
       Hoddle-doddle, etc.
     ________________________________________________________

     (1) Gregor (1881), 134.
     (2) Ibid., from Macduff; Montgomerie SC (1948), 27 (no. 5).
     (3) Rymour Club Misc. I (1906-11), 230, from Knock of
     Alves (2x4 lines); tune, a modification of Hieland
     Laddie.

MS
oct96