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The Couper o Cuddy


The Couper o' Cuddy came here awa, He ca'd the girrs out o'er us a'; An' our gudewife has gotten a ca', That's anger'd the silly gudeman O. We'll hide the Couper behint the door, Behint the door, behint the door; We'll hide the Couper behint the door, And cover him under a mawn O. He sought them out, he sought them in, Wi', deil hae her! and, deil hae him! But the body he was sae doited and blin', He wist na where he was gaun O. We'll hide the Couper behint the door, Behint the door, behint the door; We'll hide the Couper behint the door, And cover him under a mawn O. They couper'd at e'en, they cooper'd at morn, Till our gudeman has gotten the scorn; On ilka brow she's planted a horn, And swears that there they shall stan' O. We'll hide the Cooper behint the door, Behint the door, behint the door, We'll hide the Cooper behint the door, And cover him under a mawn, O.

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Elaine C Smith

About this work

This is a song by Robert Burns. It was written in 1795 and is read here by Elaine C Smith.

More about this song

'The Couper o Cuddy' appeared in James Johnson's Scots Musical Museum in1796. In folk bawdry, coopers (barrel makers) commonly appear in humorous songs about illicit sex.

Here a married woman attempts to hide her lover ('We'll hide the Couper behint the door,/ And cover him under a mawn O') from her cuckolded husband ('On ilka brow she's planted a horn,/ And swears that there they shall stan' O').

See also the bawdy song Cuddie the Cooper.

Pauline Mackay

Themes for this song

seductionmanwoman

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