Redpath was born in Edinburgh, to musical parents. Her mother knew many Scots songs and passed them on to all four of her daughters; her father played the hammer dulcimer. She was raised in Fife, Scotland, and later returned to Edinburgh, taking medieval studies at the university. Hamish Henderson was working in the School of Scottish Studies and Redpath took a keen interest in the archive of tapes and discs of music and songs. To help pay her way through her studies, she worked as a driving instructor and undertaker's assistant. She learned about 400 songs, together with the oral folklore that went with them.
In March 1961, at the age of 24, she went to the United States. Her first performance was in San Francisco. Later she met up with Rambling Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan in Greenwich Village. The natural warmth and power of her voice brought her to perform at Gerde's Folk City. In 1963, following a concert performance, she signed up with Elektra Records. In 1975 she switched to the Philo label. From 1972 to 1976 Jean was artist-in-residence at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She lectured in folklore and gave talks in schools.
In 1976 Redpath was embarked on a project to record all the songs of Robert Burns. Some being folk songs, some Burns' own compositions, and most a mixture of the two. Twenty-two volumes were planned, but when her collaborator, the composer Serge Hovey died after seven volumes, it came to a premature end. Hovey did the instrumental arrangements for 323 songs, and Redpath felt that no other musician could replace him. The albums won critical praise from around the world. In 1986 she recorded "Lady Nairne," a collection of songs written by Scottish women. She has sensitively reconstructed many songs that might otherwise have been lost.
Between 1974 and 1987, Redpath appeared regularly on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" radio show from NPR. She has also appeared on Robert J. Lurtsema's "Morning Pro Musica" from WGBH in Boston.
She has toured throughout the U.S. and to Canada, and played venues in South America, Hong Kong, and Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, and has performed often at the Edinburgh Folk Festival. In 1977, Redpath appeared at a royal banquet at Edinburgh Castle for Queen Elizabeth II, during Royal Jubilee Year. In spite of all her musical success, she has never had formal musical training.
From 1979 Redpath was a lecturer at the University of Stirling, Scotland, occasionally making a sojourn to Wesleyan University. For ten years she gave courses in Scottish Song at the "Heritage of Scotland" Summer School at Stirling University.
She was awarded the MBE, as well as being named a "Kentucky Colonel" by the Governor of Kentucky. A portrait of Redpath by Alexander Fraser hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
In 1996 she launched the Burns International Festival.
In 2009, Redpath made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, singing "Some Kind of Love" by the late John Stewart of the Kingston Trio.
My Collie Laddie
Jean Redpath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And tell me what they ca' ye;"
"My name," she says, "is mistress Jean,
And I follow the Collier laddie."
"My name, she says, &c.
"See you not yon hills and dales
The sun shines on sae brawlie;
Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie.
"They a' are mine, &c.
"Ye shall gang in gay attire,
Weel buskit up sae gaudy;
And ane to wait on every hand,
Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie."
"And ane to wait, &c.
"Tho' ye had a' the sun shines on,
And the earth conceals sae lowly,
I wad turn my back on you and it a',
And embrace my Collier laddie.
"I wad turn my back, &c.
"I can win my five pennies in a day,
An' spen't at night fu' brawlie:
And make my bed in the collier's neuk,
And lie down wi' my Collier laddie.
"And make my bed, &c.
"Love for love is the bargain for me,
Tho' the wee cot-house should haud me;
and the warld before me to win my bread,
And fair fa' my Collier laddie!"
"And the warld before me, &c.
The song "My Collie Laddie" by Jean Redpath tells the story of a young woman who is in love with a collier (a coal miner). When asked about her identity, she identifies herself as "Mistress Jean" and proudly declares that she follows the collier laddie. A man tries to woo her away from the collier and offers her all the riches and land he has to offer, but the woman stays true to her love for the collier. She says that even if she had all the wealth the world has to offer, she would still choose her collier laddie over it.
The song highlights the loyalty and devotion of the woman towards her collier laddie despite societal expectations and norms. It also portrays the theme of choosing love over material possessions and status. The woman is proud of her relationship with the collier, and she stands firm in her beliefs even when faced with temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
Whare live ye, my bonie lass?
Where do you live, my lovely girl?
And tell me what they ca' ye;
And what is your name?
"My name," she says, "is mistress Jean,
"My name," she replies, "is Mistress Jean,
And I follow the Collier laddie."
And I am the romantic partner of the collier boy."
"See you not yon hills and dales
"Do you not see those hills and fields
The sun shines on sae brawlie;
on which the sun is shining so gloriously;
They a' are mine, and they shall be thine,
They are all mine, and they could be yours too,
Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie."
If only you leave your collier lover."
Ye shall gang in gay attire,
You can go dressed up in fancy clothing,
Weel buskit up sae gaudy;
All dressed up so extravagantly;
And ane to wait on every hand,
With someone to attend to your every need,
Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie."
But you must leave your collier lover."
Tho' ye had a' the sun shines on,
Even if you had all the sunshine
And the earth conceals sae lowly,
And all the treasures that the earth kept secret,
I wad turn my back on you and it a',
I would turn my back on you and all those things,
And embrace my Collier laddie."
And I'll choose to love my collier boy."
I can win my five pennies in a day,
I can earn my daily wages of five pennies,
An' spen't at night fu' brawlie:
And spend them well at night:
And make my bed in the collier's neuk,
I'll sleep in the collier's corner,
And lie down wi' my Collier laddie."
And snuggle up with my collier boy."
Love for love is the bargain for me,
For me, love in return is the only trade,
Tho' the wee cot-house should haud me;
Even if I were to live in a small cottage;
and the warld before me to win my bread,
And if the entire world were before me to earn a living,
And fair fa' my Collier laddie!"
I'll still choose my collier boy!"
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Spydah666
Oh he is a character and has his own quirks, he makes me laugh and without him I don't know how I would be, he loves going through the woods and having a swim, and all the better if there are other dogs to play with :)