The Day The Pub Burnt Down / Closed Early

OK, it was originally supposed to be
a castle burning down (Image by Simon Meeds)

This evening being earmarked for Robbie Burns, your Substitute Scribe decided, as a fatuous pun on 'Burns', to sing The Day the Pub Burned Down (Rudy Sunde – brother of Ruby Tuesday?). Shortly afterwards the barmaid gave the dreadful news that our festivity was to stop at 10:15 as the rest of the pub was practically empty and they were closing early.

Given Burns' propensity for claiming authorship of most of the songs known in Scotland in C18, I have put together those songs which are associated with as well as those actually written by Burns.

Burns:

[Colin] You Jacobites by Name (Roud 5517), Parcel of Rogues (Roud 5516) & Lassie with the Yellow Coatie (Roud 2582). This last caused great problems, since Colin found himself using the similar tune of the shanty I'm Bound Away – perhaps understandably similar, since the Yellow Coatie girls were fisherwomen, gutting fish etc on the quayside. With a little tutoring from Mike, he got through it, only to find Derek struggling to escape the same tune while singing Coming Through the Rye (Roud 5512).

Burns' Night 2016

Burns' Cottage (photo by Bethany Weeks)

Some of our number had made it to The New Inn hot-foot from the wake after Alan Mitchell's funeral. Richard, who had officiated at the funeral service even came bearing left-over food which we gannets descended on well, taking with us most of what was not eaten on the spot. This meant that Richard and Lesley would not be eating ham rolls for the next three weeks!

Being just three days before Burns' Night, the plan was to sing some Scottish songs. Unfortunately some present didn't seem to have their diaries quite in sync. Never mind, our themes are always optional.