Henry's Songbook

The were twa bonnie lassies and they were dressed in blue
And they went out some rushes for tae pu'
And yin o' them caught wee thing before she did return
And she bundled it and put it in her apron

The first man that she met was her faither on the stair
Oh daughter dear daughter what have you got there
Who gave to you the tamosher to wear the starched gown
And you bundled it and put it in your apron

Oh was it to the baker or was it to the clown
Or was it to the bonnie boy that sails the world around
Who gave to you the tamosher to wear the starched gown
And you bundled it and put it in your apron

It wasn't to the baker it wasn't to the clown
It was to the bonnie boy that sails the world around
He gave to me the tamosher to wear the starched gown
And I bundled it and put it in my apron

Repeat 1

(as sung by The Battlefield Band)

[1978:] Alan [Reid] learnt this song from 'Tocher' magazine [...]. It was collected from Bessie Whyte, who is of travelling stock but now lives in Montrose. We hope she doesn't mind the slight changes we have made in our arrangement of the song. Bessie says that the "Tamosher is the thing that makes weans [...]." (Notes Battlefield Band, 'At the Front')