Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Hooly and Fairly 1

Traditional

“Hooly and Fairly 1” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 164 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

Doun in yon meadow a couple did tarry:

The gudewife she drank naething but sack and canary;

The gudeman complain'd to her friends richt sairly—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

Hooly and fairly, hooly and fairly,

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

First she drank Crummie, and syne she drank Gairie,

And syne she drank my bonnie gray marie,

That carried me through a' the dubs and the glairie—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

She drank her hose, she drank her shoon,

And syne she drank her bonnie new goun;

She drank her sark that cover'd her rarely—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

Wad she drink but her ain things, I wadna care,

But she drinks my claes that I canna weel spare,

When I'm wi' my gossips it angers me sairly—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

My Sunday's coat she's laid it in wad,

And the best blue bonnet e'er was on my head;

At kirk or at mercat I'm cover'd but barely—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

My bonnie white mittens I wore on my hands,

Wi' her neibour's wife she laid them in pawns;

My bane-headed staff that I looed sae dearly—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

I never was for wranglin' nor strife,

Nor did I deny her the comforts o' life;

For when there's a war, I'm aye for a parley—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

When there's ony money she maun keep the purse;

If I seek but a bawbee she'll scold and she'll curse;

She lives like a queen—I but scrimpit and sparely—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

A pint wi' her cummers I wad her allow;

But when she sits down, oh, the jaud she gets fou,

And when she is fou she is unco camstarie—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

When she comes to the street she roars and she rants,

Has nae fear o' her neibours, nor minds the house wants;

She rants up some fule-sang, like, Up your heart, Charlie!—

Oh, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

When she comes hame she lays on the lads,

The lasses she ca's baith bitches and jauds,

And ca's mysell an auld cuckle-carlie—

Oh gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

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, “Hooly and Fairly 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

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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