O what, lassie, what does your Highland laddie wear ?
O what, lassie, what does your Highland laddie wear ?
A scarlet coat and bannet blue, with bonnie yellow bair ;
And nane in the warld can wi'

my
love

compare.

O where, and O where, is your Highland laddie gane ? O where, and O where, is your Highland laddie gane? He's gone to fight for George, our king, and left us

all alane ; For noble and brave's my loyal Highlandman.

O what, lassie, what, if your Highland lad be slain ? O what, lassie, what, if your Highland lad be slain ? O nol true love will be his guard, and bring him safe

again; For I never could live without my Highlandman !

O when, and when, will your Highland lad come hame? O when, and Owhen, will your Highland lad come bame? Whene'er the war is over, he'll return to me with fame; And I'll plait a wreath of flowers for my lovely High

landman.

O what will you claim for your constancy to him?
O what will you claim for your constancy to him ?
I'll claim a priest to marry us, a clerk to say Amen;
And I'll ne'er part again from my bonnie Highlandman.*

FEE HIM, FATHER.

Tune-Fee him, Father.

O, saw ye Johnnie comin'? quo she,
Saw

ye

Johnnie comin'?
O, saw ye Johnnie comin'? quo she,
Saw

ye

Johnnie comin'?

Johnnie comin'? quo she,
Saw ye Johnnie comin',
Wi' bis blue bonnet on his head,

O saw ye

* From Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, vol. VI. 1803.

And his doggie rinnin'? quo she,

And his doggie rinnin'.
O, fee bim, father, fee him, quo she,

Fee him, father, fee him ;
O, fee him, father, fee him, quo she,

Fee him, father, fee him ;
For he is a gallant lad,

And a weel-doin';
And a' the wark about the toun

Gangs wi' me when I see him, quo she,

Gangs wi' me when I see him.
O what will I do wi' bim ? quo he,

What will I do wi' him ?
He has ne'er a coat upon his back,

And I hae nane to gie bim.
I hae twa coats into my kist,

And ane o' them I'll gie him ;
And for a merk o' mair fee

Dinna stand wi' him, quo she,
Dinna stand wi' him :

For weel do I loe bim, quo she,

Weel do I loe him ;
For weel do I loe him, quo she,

Weel do I loe him.
O, fee him,, father, fee him, quo she,

Fee him, father, fee him ;
He'll haud the pleuch, thrash in the barn,

And crack wi' me at e'en, quo she,
And crack wi' me at e'en.*

CRAIL TOUN.T

TUNE-Sir John Malcolm.

And was ye

e'er in Crail toun ?

Igo and ago ; * From Herd's Collection, 1776.

+ There is a somewhat different version of this strange song in Herd's Collection, 1776. The present, which I think the best, is copied from The Scottish Minstrel.

And saw ye there Clerk Dishington ?*

Sing irom, igon, ago.

His wig was like a doukit hen,

Igo and ago ;
The tail o't like a goose-pen,

Sing irom, igon, ago.

And dinna

ye

ken Sir John Malcolm ?
Igo and ago;
Gin he's a wise man I mistak him,

Sing irom, igon, ago.
And haud ye weel frae. Sandie Don,

Igo and ago;
He's ten times dafter nor Sir John,

Sing irom, igon, ago.
To hear them o' their travels talk,

Igo and ago;
To gae to London's but a walk,

Sing irom, igon, ago.

To see the wonders o' the deep,

Igo and ago,
Wad gar a man baith wail and weep,

Sing irom, igon, ago.

To see the leviathan skip,

Igo and ago,
And wi' his tail ding ower a ship,

Sing irom, igon, ago.

* The person known in Scottish song and tradition by the epithet Clerk Dishington, was a notary who resided

about the middle of the last century in Crail, and acted as the town-clerk of that ancient burgh. I have been i:aformed that he was a person of great local celebrity in his time, as an uncompromising humourist.

MY ONLY JO AND DEARIE, 0.

GALL.*

Tune-My only jo and dearie, O.
Thy cheek is o' the rose's hue,

My only jo and dearie, 0;
Thy neck is o' the siller dew,

Upon the bank sae briery, O.
Thy teeth are o' the ivory,
O sweet's tbe twinkle o' thine ee :
Nae joy, nae pleasure blinks on me,

My only jo and dearie, 0.

The birdie sings upon the thorn

Its sang o' joy, fu' cheery, 0;
Rejoicing in the simmer morn,

Nae care to make it eerie, O.
Ah, little kens the sangster sweet,
Aught o' the care I hae to meet,
That gars my restless bosom beat,

My only jo and dearie, O I

When we were bairnies on yon brae,

And youth was blinkin' bonnie, 0,
Aft we wad daff the lee lang day,

Our joys fu' sweet and monie, O.
Aft I wad chase thee ower the lee,
And round about the thorny tree;
Or pu' the wild flow’rs a' for thee,

My only jo and dearie, 0.

I bae a wish I canna tine,

'Mang a' the cares that grieve me, 0;
A wish that thou wert ever mine,

And never ma to leave me, 0;
Then I wad daut thee nicht and day,
Nae ither warldly care I'd hae,
Till life's warm strearn forgat to play,

My only jo and dearie, O. * Richard Gall, the son of a dealer in old furniture in St Mary's Wynd, Edinburgh, was brought up to the business of a printer, and died, at an early age, about the reginning of the present century.

TARRY W00.

TUNE-Tarry woo.

TARRY woo, tarry woo,

Tarry woo is ill to spin ;
Card it weil, card it weil,

Card it weil, ere ye begin,
When it's cardit, row'd, and spun,
Then the wark is haflins done;
But, when woven, dress'd, and clean,
It
may.

be cleadin for a queen,

Sing my bonnie harmless sheep,
That feed upon the mountains steep,
Bleating sweetly, as ye go
Through the winter's frost and snow.
Hart, and hynd, and fallow-deer,
No by half sae useful are :
Frae kings, to him that hauds the plou',
All are obliged to tarry woo.
Up, ye shepherds, dance and skip;
Ower the hills and valleys trip ;
Sing up the praise of tarry woo;
Sing the flocks that bear it too :
Harmless creatures, without blame,
That clead the back, and cram the wame;
Keep us warm and hearty fou-
Leeze me on the tarry woo!

How happy is the shepherd's life,
Far frae courts and free of strife!
While the gimmers bleat and bae,
And the lambkins answer mae ;
No such music to his ear!
Of thief or fox he has no fear :
Sturdy kent, and collie true,
Weil defend the tarry woo.

He lives content, and envies none :
Not even a monarch on his throne,