Hey Jock Ma Cuddie is a traditional Scottish children’s rhyme whose aim was to encourage adults to sing to kids and kids not to harm animals. The song is a nonsense rhyme about a boy named Jock and his dog.
He urges anyone against harming their dog lest the dog bites them. The song is sung in Scots, a dialect of English spoken in Scotland. Hey Jock Ma Cuddie is as ancient as time. Some accounts speculate it was first recorded in the 1900s. However, the song might have existed way longer than that. Today, many artists have recorded it and come up with different renditions.
The song teaches children about the Scottish language and culture hence why it’s popular at cultural events.
Lyrics for Hey Jock Ma Cuddie
Hey Jock ma cuddie
Ma cuddie is ower the dyke
An if ye touch ma cuddie
Ma cuddie will gie ye a bite!
Hey Jock, ma cuddy,
Ma cuddy’s in the byre.
If ye touch ma cuddy,
Ma cuddy’ll gie ye a sair.
Hey Jock, ma cuddy,
Ma cuddy’s in the cot.
If ye touch ma cuddy,
Ma cuddy’ll gie ye a thot.