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Cauld Kail in Aberdeen 1

Traditional

“Cauld Kail in Aberdeen 1” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 79 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Cauld kail in Aberdeen,

And custocks in Strathbogie,

But yet I fear they'll cook o'er soon,

And never warm the cogie.

The lasses about Bogie gicht,

Their limbs they are sae clean and tight,

That if they were but girded right,

They'll dance the reel o' Bogie.

Wow, Aberdeen, what did you mean,

Sae young a maid to woo, sir?

I'm sure it was nae joke to her,

Whate'er it was to you, sir.

For lasses now are no sae blate

But they ken auld folk's out o' date,

And better playfare can they get

Than custocks in Strathbogie.

Verse 2

There's cauld kail in Aberdeen,

And custocks in Stra'bogie,

Where ilka lad maun ha'e his lass,

But I maun ha'e my cogie.

For I maun ha'e my cogie, Sirs,

I canna want my cogie;

I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog

For a' the wives in Bogie.

Johnny Smith has got a wife

Wha scrimps him o' his cogie:

But were she mine, upon my life,

I'd dook her in a bogie.

For I maun ha'e my cogie, sirs,

I canna want my cogie;

I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog

For a' the wives in Bogie.

Twa three todlin' weans they ha'e,

The pride o' a' Stra'bogie;

Whene'er the totums cry for meat,

She curses aye his cogie;

Crying, Wae betide the three-gir'd cog!

Oh, wae betide the cogie!

It does mair skaith than a' the ills

That happen in Stra'bogie.

She fand him ance at Willie Sharp's;

And, what the maist did laugh at,

She brak the bicker, spilt the drink,

And tightly gouff'd his haffet,

Crying, Wae betide the three-gir'd cog!

Oh, wae betide the cogie,

It does mair skaith than a' the ills

That happen in Stra'bogie.

Yet here's to ilka honest soul

Wha'll drink wi' me a cogie,

And for ilk silly whinging fool,

We'll dook him in a bogie.

For I maun ha'e my cogie, sirs,

I canna want my cogie:

I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog

For a the queans in Bogie.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Cauld Kail in Aberdeen 1”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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