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The Hairst o Rettie

[ Roud 3512 ; G/D 3:408 ; Ballad Index Ord271 ; trad.]

Sheila Douglas: The Sang’s the Thing John Ord: Bothy Songs and Ballads

John Strachan of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, sang The Hairst o Rettie on 16 July 1951 to Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson. This recording was included in 2002 on Strachan’s Rounder anthology Songs From Aberdeenshire. Another recording from the People’s Festival Ceilidh in Edinburgh was included in 2005 on the Rounder anthology 1951 Edinburgh People’s Festival Ceilidh. Hamish Henderson and Ewan McVicar noted on the first album:

The song celebrates how the arrival of a “back delivery” mechanical reaper revolutionised harvest time, replacing the hand scythe reapers of The Bogheid Crew One wonders how cheerful the harvesters really were to have two or three weeks less of casual employment. There’s an extra verse that celebrates the “Gentle dames that guards the house”. In Greig-Duncan Volume 3, we learn among much else that the song was written by William Park, blacksmith. Willie Rae was not the farmer, but the grieve (head-workman) at Rettie Farm in the years 1889 to 1892. His brother, John S Rae, was a poet, “The Bard of Banffshire”. Hamish Henderson says that John Strachan called this song “the best bothy ballad that ever existed”.

Charlie Murray of Justinehaugh, Angus, sang The Hairst o’ Rettie in 1971 on the Tangent anthology Bothy Ballads (Scottish Tradition 1).

Jock Duncan sang The Hairst o Rettie on his 1996 Springthyme album, Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan!. Peter Shepheard noted:

One of the greatest of the serious bothy ballads (G/D 408, Ord p. 271). This famous song tells of the change over from the scythe to the back delivery reaper which took place in a big way in the middle of the last century. Jock dedicates this song to the late Charlie Murray who “never failed to sing a good Hairst o Rettie”.

Jock: That wis one o Charlie’s favourites. Rettie wis one o the greatest o ferm touns in the 1920s. A big place—great corn growin country. The fairmer’s name wis Forbes and a brother had Dallachy a mile or so up the coast. And Charlie’s first fee wis at Dallachy—Nether Dallachy, so he wis weel steeped in Rettie. Charlie aye had a saying:

Doun at Nether Dallachy,
There’s neither watch nor knock,
But denner time an supper time
An aye yoke, yoke.

Rettie wis flat as a pancake, so flat that when the war started they commandeered it right away an made an aerodrome o it. Five six hunder acre went intil an aerodrome right away.

Jimmy McBeath, born just along the coast at Portsoy in 1894, also sang this famous song and Jock once asked Jimmy to sing the song when he came across him singing outside the beer tent at the Oldmeldrum games when it was revived after the war in 1947.

Jock: There wis Jimmy, ootside the beer tent an aa the boys wis roun him ready poised wi the beers in their hand listenin tae Jimmy. “Fit wad ye like tae hear,” he says. “The Hairst o Rettie, Jimmy.” He started and stuck at the second line. So I telt him, “Aye an twa three on the throne.” An on he went. And then after he‘d finished he cam over. “Fit wey ye ken that sang man?” Well I’d heard it from aul John Strachan…

Joe Aitken sang The Hairst o’ Rettie in a 1988 recording on his 1990 Springthyme cassette If Ye’ve Never Been tae Kirrie. He also sang it during the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2005. This recording was included in the following year on the Autumn Harvest festival anthology For Friendship and for Harmony (Old Songs & Bothy Ballads Volume 2)

Geordie Murison sang Hairst o’ Rettie in 2017 on his Tradition Bearers album The Term Time Is Comin Roon. He noted:

The farm of Rettie lies west of Banff and has fine grain growing soil. Willie Rae was grieve at Rettie from 1889 to 1892. The song describes the start of the mechanisation of the harvest with the introduction of the reaper and binder. The Hairst of Rettie is still often sung today by our local singers.

Lyrics

John Strachan sings The Hairst o Rettie

I hae seen the hairst o Rettie, aye and twa, three on the throne,
I’ve heard for sax or seeven weeks the hairsters gim and groan,
But a covie Willie Rae in a monthie and a day,
Makes aa the jolly hairster lads gae singin doon the brae.

A monthie and a day, my lads, the like was never seen,
It beats tae sticks the faistest strips o Victory’s new machine.
A Speedwel now brings up the rear, a Victory clears the way,
And twenty acres daily yields nor stands to Willie Rae.

He drives them roon and roon the field at sic an awfu rate,
He steers them cannie oot an in at mony’s the kittle gate.
And wiles them safely ower the clods to mony’s the hidden hole,
But he comes wi nae mishanter if you leave him wi the pole.

He sharps their teeth to gar them bite and taps them on the jaws,
And when he finds them dully like he brawly kens the cause.
A boltie here, a pinnie there, a little oot o tune,
He shortly stops their wild career and brings the slooshit doon.

He whittles off at comers and maks crookit bitries straucht,
And sees that man and beast alike are equal in the dracht.
And aa the sheaves are lyin stracht and neen o them agley,
For he’ll coont wi ony dominie fae the Deveron tae the Spey.

He’s no made up o mony words nor kent to puff and lee,
But just as keen a little chap as ever ye did see.
If ye be in search o hairst work upon a market day,
Tak my advice, be there in time and look for Willie Rae.

Noo we hae gotten’t in aboot and a wir thingies ticht,
We gaither roond the festive board to spend a jolly nicht,
Wi Scottish sang and mutton broth to drive all cares away.
We ll drink success to Rettie and adieu to Wullie Rae.

Come all ye jolly Rettie chaps a ringin cheer tae aa.
A hand o better workin chaps a gaffer never saw.
Sae eager-eyed tae play their pairt and ready for the brae.
Turn you that made the boatie row and twas steert by Wulie Rae.

Geordie Murison sings Hairst o Rettie

I hae seen the hairst o Rettie, lads, twa three aff the throne,
Heard o sax an seiven wiks the hairsters girn and groan.
Bit a covie Wullie Rae, aye a monthie and a day
Gars a the jolly hairsters gyang blithely doon the brae.

A monthie and a day mi lads, the like wis niver seen,
It beat tae sticks the festest strips o Vicker’s best machine.
A Speedwell she taks up the rear, a Victory clears the way,
Aye twenty acres daily yields, laid doon tae Wullie Rae.

He drives them roon and roon the field at sic an affa rate,
Yet steers them canny oot an in at monys a kittle gate.
He’ll wile them gently ower the steens an monys a hidden hole,
He’ll come bi nae mishanter gin ye leave him wi the pole.

He sharps their teeth tae gar them bite, he taps them on the jaws,
Gin he fins them dully like, he’ll brawly ken the cause.
A boltie here, a pinnie there tae keep them aye in tune,
He’ll quickly stop their wild career tae bring the slusher doon.

He whittles aff the comers, maks crooked bitties stracht,
He likes tae see that man an beast stan equal e the draught.
A his shaefies lyin stracht and neen o them agley,
He’ll coont wi ony dominie fae the Deveron tae the Spey.

He’s nae made up wi mony words nor kent tae puff an lee,
Bit jist as keen a little chap as ony ye’ll see.
If ye’re in search o hairst wark upon a merket day
Tak my advice, be there on time, an speir for Wullie Rae.

Noo we hae gotten’t in aboot an a oor things are ticht,
We’ll gaither roon the festal board, spend a joyfu nicht.
Wi Scottish sang and mutton broth tae charm oor cares away
We’ll drink success tae Rettie lads and adieu tae Wullie Rae.

Bit afore I end ma hamely screed we canna weel forget
The gentle deems at guards the hoose and keeps the fowk in maet.
Oh lang may they bile the kail an steer the porridge weel
And niver need or wint for nail tae keep the timmer hale.

Noo here’s tae a ye Rettie chiels, a ringing cheer Hurra!
A band o better wirkin lads a gaffer niver saw.
Aye willin aye tae play their pairt and ready for the brae,
Twis ye that gart the boatie rowe twis steered bi Wullie Rae.