Wee Cooper O'Fife
Encyclopedia
"Wee Cooper O'Fife" is a well-known Scottish folk song about a cooper
who beats his wife because she will not cook, clean, and sew. It was recorded by Burl Ives
on 11 February 1941 for his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
. It has also been recorded by Hedy West
, Ed McCurdy
, and Ian Campbell.
An American variation of the song, entitled "Risseldy Rosseldy", was sung by the school children in the 1963 film The Birds
right before they were attacked by a swarm of bird
s. "Risseldy Rosseldy" was also featured as a musical number in Wee Sing in Sillyville
.
The Wee Cooper O' Fife is also the name of a Scottish country dance
devised by Hugh Foss
to fit the tune of the folk song, which is unusual in having ten-bar rather eight-bar phrases.
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
who beats his wife because she will not cook, clean, and sew. It was recorded by Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
on 11 February 1941 for his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger
Released in August 1941, Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger is an album consisting of four 10-inch records by Burl Ives. This record set marked Ives's debut as a recording artist...
. It has also been recorded by Hedy West
Hedy West
Hedy West was an American folksinger and songwriter.West was of the same generation as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and others of the American folk music revival. Her most famous song "500 Miles" is one of America's best loved and best known folk songs...
, Ed McCurdy
Ed McCurdy
Ed McCurdy was an American folk singer, songwriter, and television actor. His anti-war classic, "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" , inspired and gave hope to those in the peace movement.-Career:...
, and Ian Campbell.
An American variation of the song, entitled "Risseldy Rosseldy", was sung by the school children in the 1963 film The Birds
The Birds (film)
The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
right before they were attacked by a swarm of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. "Risseldy Rosseldy" was also featured as a musical number in Wee Sing in Sillyville
Wee Sing in Sillyville
Wee Sing in Sillyville is a video in the Wee Sing Video Series . It is the fourth release of the series. It was originally released on video in 1989. It had a re-release in 1995. It is now available on DVD, as of 2004. This is based on the cassette and CD "Wee Sing Silly Songs".-Plot summary:The...
.
The Wee Cooper O' Fife is also the name of a Scottish country dance
Scottish country dance
A Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...
devised by Hugh Foss
Hugh Foss
Hugh Rose Foss was a British cryptographer.-Life:Foss was born in Kobe, Japan, where his father the Rt Revd Hugh Foss was a missionary bishop, and he learned Japanese....
to fit the tune of the folk song, which is unusual in having ten-bar rather eight-bar phrases.