Volume II, song 111, page 114 - 'My Jo Janet' - Scanned...
Volume II, song 111, page 114 - 'My Jo Janet' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'O sweet sir, your courtesie, When ye come by the Bass then, For the love ye bear to me, Buy me a keeking glass then. Keek into the draw well, Janet, Janet; And there ye'll see your bonny sell, My Jo Janet.'
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.
Burns, in his personal commentary on the songs, recorded a more risquǸ last verse, 'My spinning-wheel is auld and stiff / The rock it winna stan', Sir, / To keep the temper-pin in tiff, / Employs right aft my han', Sir, / Make the best of it you can / Janet, Janet; / But like it never wale a man / My Jo, Janet'. Burns further comments that this 'humorous' verse was turned down for publication by Johnson due to his 'foolish delicacy'.
Volume II, song 111, page 114 - 'My Jo Janet' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)