Volume III, song 262, pages 270 and 271 - 'Deil tak the Wars' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'Deil take the war that hurried Willy frae me, Wha to loo me just had sworn; They made him captain sure to undo me; Wae is me, he'll ne'er return! A thousand loons abroad will fight him, He frae thousands ne'er will run; Day and night I did invite him, To stay safe from sword or gun; I us'd alluring graces With muckle kind embraces, Now sighing now crying, then tears dropping fall; And had he my soft arms preferr'd to war's alarms, My love grown mad without the man of Gad I fear in my fit I had granted all.' 'Loons' in this instance refers to natives. 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. Unfortunately there appears to be little know about his particular song or melody. According to John Glen, in 'Early Scottish Melodies' (1900), the original words to this tune were written by the English songwriter and dramatist, Tom D'Urfey (1653-1723). He further notes that the melody 'has not the least character of an early Scots tunes'. Sadly, it is not known who wrote the version included in the 'Museum'.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503458

Title

Volume III, song 262, pages 270 and 271 - 'Deil tak the Wars' - 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

- 263 x 211 mm