O an Ye Were Dead Gudeman
written in 1796
O an Ye Were Dead Gudeman - meaning Summary
Desire, Mockery, and Escape
This short, mocking song presents a woman addressing her husband (“Gudeman”) who annoys or mistreats her. She imagines him dead so she can marry a lively Highlandman, then lists coarse domestic images—eggs, a sheep's head, being given the broth while he gets the meat—turning everyday meals into symbols of resentment. Refrains and repetition give it a singsong, improvised feel; threats of horns and being tied to straw mix dark humor with erotic and social insult. Overall the poem puts marital frustration and desire for escape into blunt, comic, folk-song language.
Read Complete Analyses'O an ye were dead Gudeman A green turf on your head gudeman, I wad bestow my widowhood Upon a rantin Highlandman. There's sax eggs in the pan gudeman, There's sax eggs in the pan gudeman There's ane to you, and twa to me, And three to our John Highlandman.' A Sheep-head in the pot gudeman A Sheep-head in the pot gudeman The flesh to him the broo to me, An the horns become your brow gudeman Sing round about the fire wi a rung she ran An round about the fire wi a rung she ran Your horns shall tie you to the straw And I shall band your hide gudeman
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