Volume II, song 105, pages 107 and 108 - 'On a rock by seas...
Volume II, song 105, pages 107 and 108 - 'On a rock by seas surrounded' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1 (to tune of 'Ianthy the lovely'): 'On a rock by seas surrounded, Distant far from sight of shore, When the ship-wrecked wretch confounded, Hears the bellowing tempest roar. Hopes of life do then forsake him, In this last deplor'd extreme; When lo, his own loud shrieks awake him, And he finds it all a dream.'
The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition.
It is believed that James Johnson received both the melody and song from Dr Beattie of Aberdeen. It is true that the 'Scots Musical Museum' was the first publication which held a record of them. There is no other information available on this rather melancholy song. It does, however, reflect the human experience which was the point of folkmusic. This contrasted greatly with the more highfaluting and grandiose classical music which was also popular at the time.
Volume II, song 105, pages 107 and 108 - 'On a rock by seas surrounded' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)