Coulter's Candy (Alli Balli Be)

by Neil O'Neill

on Caledonia Dreamin'

in Acoustic, Celtic

Coulter's Candy is a real Weegie (Glesga) street song or rather, an early form of advertising jingle from the 1840s - 1890s meant to loosen pennies from the hands of babes. Some say that when the farm failed, John Coulter (or Robert Coultart) and his wife Masie moved into town and made candies wrapped in wax paper. He would hawk his toffee (or anise) candy in the Glesga streets (or the streeets of Peebles or Melrose, depending upon who yer talkin tae—even the Geordies of Newcastle and the Irish insist it's THEIR song!) Anyway, Coultart sang Ally bally to alert the children who would come running to buy candy from the sack of the Scottish Pied Piper—just like how kids today do when the ice cream cart comes by. Supposedly the recipe died with Coultart in the 1890s. Donovan recorded Coulter's Candy on the album, the HMS Donovan for his wee bairn to be in the 1970s. Sung in the broad Scots tongue (in case ye canna ken it). Coulter's Candy will leave ye greetin' for anither sweet bawbee and a wee tune from the Scotch Melody Maker, himself, Neil O'Neill.