Volume III, song 236, page 245 - 'Tune, O dear mother, what shall I do' - 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 dear Peggy, love's beguiling, We ought not to trust his smiling; Better far to so as I do, Lest a harder luck betide you. Lasses, when their fancy's carries, Think of nought but to be married, Running to a life destroys Hartsome, free, and youthfu' joys.' 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. There is also an accompaning set of old words, the first verse of which reads, 'O dear minny, what shall I do; / O dear minny, what shall I do; / O dear minny, what shall I do; / Daft thing, doylt thing, do as I do.' The tune to this piece proved to be fairly popular and had many sets of words written to it. It was also turned into a reel tune to accompany Strathspey's. Versions of both the tune and lyrics can be found under the titles, 'The Braes of Auchtertyre', 'How can I keep my Maiden-head', 'Lennox's Love to Blantyre' and finally 'O, Minie'.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503433

Title

Volume III, song 236, page 245 - 'Tune, O dear mother, what shall I do' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 132 x 211 mm