Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Barn Dance

Scottish Poem By W. D. Cocker

The Barn Dance is a Scottish poem written by W. D. Cocker and is quoted in the Lothian Collection where the Scottish country dance, Bauldy Bain's Fiddle is published.

William Dixon Cocker (13 October 1882 - 1970) was a Scottish poet who wrote in both Scots and English.

Born in Rutherglen, W. D. Cocker was born into a family of Glasgow merchants, although his family connections were in the rural Drymen area where he learned Scots.

In the First World War, he served with the Highland Light Infantry, and was taken prisoner in 1917. His war poetry is fairly limited in scope, but includes the poems "Up the Line to Poelkapelle", "The Sniper" and a five-part sonnet cycle entitled "Sonnets in Captivity".

After the war Cocker entered the accounts department of the Daily Record, and was the paper's drama critic until his retirement in 1956.

W. D. Cocker is best known for his humorous poems in Scots, often on Biblical themes, such as "The Deluge", on the story of Noah and the Flood. Books of his poems include "Poems: Scots and English", "Further Poems", "New Poems" and "Randon Rhymes and Ballads".

Kilmadock, mentioned in the poem, is a parish named for Saint Cadoc, containing the settlements of Doune, Deanston, Buchany, Drumvaich, and Delvorich, situated in Stirling council area, Scotland, and is on the southern border of the former county of Perthshire, Scotland.

Related Scottish Country Dances

Bauldy Bain's Fiddle

The Barn Dance By W. D. Cocker

Hey! for the music o' Baldy Bain's fiddle!
Redd up the barn, a' we'e gie ye a Reel.
In till it, noo! wit a diddle-dum-diddle,
Dod! that's the tune to pit springs in your heel.
Skirlin' o' lassocks, an' 'Hoochs' frae ilk fellow,
Cheers, when the gudeman himsel' taks the flair,
Leads Petronella wi' hellicate Bella,
Brawest o' dochters, though gey deil-may-care.

Hey! for the music o' Baldy Bain's fiddle!
Lads frae the bothies, an' herds frae the hill
Cleek wi' young lassies, sae jimp roon the middle.
Gosh! but some auld anes are soople anes still.
Lang Geordie Craddock, the grieve o'Kilmadock,
Widowed sae aft he's fain to forget,
Wha would jalouse he could loup like a puddock?
Faith! but here's spunk in the auld deevil yet!

Hey! for the music o' Baldy Bain's fiddle!
Syne we'll hae supper, for time's wearin' on;
Drinks for the drouthy, an' scones frae the griddle
Bella's the lass that can bake a guid scone.
Baldy's in fettle, an' sweers he maun ettle
Ae hinmaist hoolachan juist for the last.
Cast yer coats, callans, an' yoke tae't we' mettle;
Dancin' and daffin' days sune will be past.

Fiddle On Barn Door
Fiddle Hanging On Barn Door

The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original W. D. Cocker article on Wikipedia.
Text from this original Kilmadock article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright [Public domain], via pxfuel.

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