DAILY RAMBLING
We're off for the reunion, the wonderful union of re... doesn't quite scan, does it. But we're off, anyway, and this ramble will return on Tuesday, after which we'll see. I might go back to just the weekly update.

Until then, I leave you with the contents of a mix tape I made for the road, a sequel to one I made several years ago called "Celts Behaving Badly." (The show Men Behaving Badly had just come out at the time; I believe it's since been utterly and deservedly forgotten.) There is a long, fine tradition of songs involving murder, seduction, filial disobedience, and other fun things, and here are a few of them.

Side 1:

• The Parish of Dunkeld. This fun-loving lot hanged their minister, drowned their presenter, and held a rocking party.
• Henry Martin. A Scottish pirate sinks his first prize.
• The Maid That Sold Her Barley. Man meets woman on way to market, buys her barley (at a handsome price) if she'll spend the night with him. Wants a reprise, but, "Kind sir--I've sold my barley."
• The Rights of Man. Instrumental, no naughtiness.
• The Ramblin' Rover. A toast to fun-loving wanderers.
• Lish Young Buy-a-broom. Man has drunken fling with broom-seller, who eventually leaves him.
• The Drunken Piper. In Gaelic, so I'm only guessing there's misbehavior involved.
• Sovay. Woman dresses up as highwayman and accosts her lover to test his manhood. Sweetly informs him that she would have shot him had he failed. Wonder how that relationship turned out.
• Daze of Grace. In which odd things are done to "Amazing Grace."
• Tarry Trousers. A girl defies her mother by staying true to her sailor love.
• Whiskey and Sangria. Fiddle and Spanish guitar instrumental.

Side 2:

• House-Husband's Lament. Moral: Do not marry a loose woman.
• Rattlin' Roarin' Willie. Willie is tempted to sell his fiddle and buy some of life's other necessities, like wine.
• The Maid on the Shore. Captain kidnaps woman from deserted shore for a fate worse than death. She sings a song that puts them all to sleep, steals everything she can carry, and rows off laughing at them.
• Culloden's Harvest. The battle of Culloden, at which the poorly-armed Scots were demolished by the English. Google it if you're interested.
• Siuil a Ruin. Girl sells all she owns and turns prostitute to support her lover's career as a soldier.
• Under the Milky Way. There's nothing ill-behaved at all about this cover of an old Church song. Seven Nations should make everyone who has ever bad-mouthed bagpipes hang their head in shame.
• A Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter. Sailor defies his mother to wed a penniless farm girl (Tarry Trousers in reverse--same band, at that).
• Blackbirds and Thrushes. Celebrating the little-known fact that generally, men are keen on women.
• Downstream. I have no idea what this song is about, but I like it, so it's here.
• Rusty Nails. Instrumental.

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