O hoireann o, who will hav fun with me?

Who will flirt with me, who will be nice to me?

Who will, unless the young men will?

One day, I took off into the mountain moors

I came across a nice young lass

I went over and got her to talk with me

And I asked her what her surname was

She said, " I'm a Chisholm"

And I told her that that was my clan

She said to me, "I'll have noting to do with you;

I prefer MacLeans

And a MacDonald will be coming to see me."



from Mary Morrison (Barra), School of Scottish Studies archive recording; Hebridean Folk

Songs, Vol. III, Waulking songs from Vatersay, Barra, Souith Uist, Eriskay and Benbecula.



After the vigourous process of waulking tweed, young girls would often tease each other through

impromptu 'clapping songs', in which the lead singer would hint of the love interests of wome of

the other girls