Broadside ballad entitled 'The Hale Rick-Ma-Tick'

This ballad begins: 'Attention, freens, and listen while I sing to you a song, / And tell ye what I think is richt, and what I think is wrang, / Owre a' the principal topics, I'll rin in succession quick, / And gie you my opinion o' the hale rick-ma-tick.' It was to be sung to the tune 'Whole Hog or None'. The broadside was priced at one penny and published by the Poet's Box, 79 London Street, Glasgow, on Saturday, 8th February, 1879. However, another date on the sheet, reading 'D.-2-11-1872', indicates that this is a reprint of an older ballad. Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse. 'The Hale Rick-Ma-Tick' provides a fascinating snapshot of the issues that concerned Glaswegians in 1872, when this poem was originally written. The narrator condemns the cruelty of the wars of German unification which ended in 1871, and warns against Russian military aggression. The marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, to the Scots Marquess of Lorne, is celebrated. On a more parochial level, the narrator laments the absence of a tribute to Burns among the new statues that have been erected in Glasgow's George Square.

Collection

Popular Print in Scotland, 1650-1850

Inventory Number

4502001

Title

Broadside ballad entitled 'The Hale Rick-Ma-Tick'

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 100 x 264mm