Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Wee Cooper O' Fife

Scottish Folk Song - Anonymous

Wee Cooper O' Fife is an anonymous Scottish folk song about a cooper who beats his wife because she will not cook, clean, and sew...

Related Scottish Country Dances

Cooper's Wife (Mitchell)
Cooper's Wife (Mitchell) (3-Couple Version)
Wee Cooper O' Fife

Wee Cooper O' Fife - Anonymous

There was a wee Cooper wha lived in Fife,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And he has gotten a gentle wife,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna bake, nor she wadna brew,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the spoiling o' her comely hue,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna card, nor she wadna spin,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the shamin' o' her gentle kin,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna wash, nor she wadna wring,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the spoiling o' her gowden ring,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

The Cooper has gane to his woo' pack,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And he's laid a sheep's skin on his wife's ba'ck,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

It's I'll no thrash ye for your gentle kin,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
But I will thrash my ain sheep's skin,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

Oh I will bake, and I will brew,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And nae mair think o' my comely hue,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

Oh I will card, and I will spin,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And nae main think o' my gentle kin,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

Oh I will wash, and I will wring,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
and nae mair think o' my gowden ring,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

A! ye wha ha'e gotten a gentle wife,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
Just you send for the wee Cooper o' Fife,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
A lane, quo'Rushity, roue, roue, roue.


Wee Cooper O' Fife Song Video

Wee Cooper O' Fife' Song - Information Video
The Wee Cooper O' Fife At Work
A Cooper At Work


The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Wee Cooper O' Fife (Song) article on Wikisource.
Image copyright under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.

Back to the top of this 'Wee Cooper O' Fife Song' page