The band's name derives from banjoist Leonard Podolak's earlier band Scruj MacDuhk (pronounced Scrugg MachDuke). MacDuhk was a warrior chieftain who fought with William Wallace, resisting English occupation of Scotland, during the reign of King Edward I. The entire name is a wordplay on the Disney character Scrooge McDuck created by Carl Barks.
In March of 2007 lead singer and budding songwriter Jessee Havey left the band to pursue other interests. Singer Sarah Dugas joined the band in July of 2007 and is on the road with The Duhks.
In late 2007, percussionist Scott Senior left the band to spend more time with his family, as his partner, Tara Beckta, was expecting their second child. Christian Dugas, Sarah's brother and a former bandmate of Leonard Podolak, has since joined The Duhks. Other members are fiddler Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell.
In October 2007 The Duhks Sustainability Project http://www.greenduhks.com was launched to raise awareness about ways to live a more economically-viable and ecologically-sustainable lifestyle. In April 2008, The Duhks performed a post Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado.
In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.
http://www.duhks.com
The Trooper and the Maid
The Duhks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With riding he was weary,
A trooper lad came here at night,
When the moon shone bright and clearly
She's taken the trooper by the hand
And led him to her chamber
She's given him cheese and wine to drink
Lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
In the morning air I'll leave you
She's made her bed both long and wide
And made it like a lady
She's taken her coatie over her head
Saying trooper are you ready?
They hadn't been, but an hour in bed,
But an hour at a quarter,
When drums came beating down the street
And every beat was shorter
Lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
In the morning air I'll leave you
Lassie I maun leavin' you
Bonnie lassie I maun leave you,
When heather cows grow ousen bows,
And I'll come back and see you
Shes taken her coatie over her head,
And followed him up to Stirling
She grown sae fu and she couldn't a boo,
And they left her in Dunferniline
Bonnie lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
In the morning air I'll leave you
Bonnie lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
In the morning air I'll leave you
Bonnie lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
In the morning air I'll leave you
The Trooper and the Maid by The Duhks is a traditional Scottish folk song. The trooper lad comes to stay with a maid one night, and she takes him to her chamber to offer him cheese and wine. They quickly become intimate and spend the night together. Early in the morning, the trooper is ready to leave and says he will come back to see her. As he makes his way back to his duty, he is followed by the maid, who becomes drunk and eventually left behind in Dunferniline. The trooper then repeats his earlier promise to return.
The song is narrated primarily by the trooper and the maid, each taking turns promising to remain near the other. There is a sense of fleeting romance and uncertainty in their situation, as the trooper is a traveler and the maid is left behind. The song also speaks to the larger themes of war and sacrifice that are central to Scottish culture. The presence of the drums in the middle of the song suggest that the trooper is called to action, leaving behind the maid and their brief encounter.
Overall, The Trooper and the Maid is a poignant representation of love, loss, and the impact of war on everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
A trooper lad came here at night
A soldier arrived at her doorstep during the night, tired from his travels.
With riding he was weary,
The journey had exhausted him.
When the moon shone bright and clearly
The moon provided enough light to see by.
She's taken the trooper by the hand
She led him inside.
And led him to her chamber
She took him to her bedroom.
She's given him cheese and wine to drink
She offered him food and drink.
And the wine it falls like ember
The wine was strong and warming.
Lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
He promised to stay close.
Bonnie lassie, I'll lie near you,
He finds her beautiful and wants to stay with her.
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
He will make her ribbons dance and flutter.
In the morning air I'll leave you
He will have to leave at dawn.
She's made her bed both long and wide
She prepared her bed for both of them.
And made it like a lady
She made the bed look presentable.
She's taken her coatie over her head
She removed her coat.
Saying trooper are you ready?
She asked if he was prepared to make love.
They hadn't been, but an hour in bed,
They had only been lying together for a short time.
But an hour at a quarter,
Exactly seventy-five minutes had passed.
When drums came beating down the street
The sound of drums could be heard outside.
And every beat was shorter
The pauses between the drumbeats were getting shorter.
Lassie I maun leavin' you
He must go.
Bonnie lassie I maun leave you,
He finds her beautiful but must depart.
When heather cows grow ousen bows,
He will return when summer turns to fall.
And I'll come back and see you
He promises to return to her.
She grown sae fu and she couldn't a boo,
She had too much to drink and couldn't keep up.
And they left her in Dunferniline
He and his troop left her behind in town.
Bonnie lassie, Ill lie near you yet,
He still wants to be close to her despite leaving town.
And I'll gar all your ribbons reel
He will make her ribbons dance again.
In the morning air I'll leave you
He must depart in the morning.
Contributed by Joseph N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.