Volume V, song 432, page 444 - 'Widow, are ye waking?' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'What is that at my chamber door? 'Fair widow are ye waking?' Auld carl, your fuit give o'er, Your love lies a' in tawking. Gi'e me a lad that's young and tight, Sweet like an April meadow; 'Tis sick as he can bless the sight, And bosom of a widow.' 'Carl' is an old man with the implication of a boor or a clown, while 'sick' reads as 'such'. 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. This song was believed to have been much older than its first recorded appearance by commentators of the time. It was first published in 1700 in Henry Playford's 'Original Scotch Tunes' but was given the title 'Widow, gin thou be waking'. This early tune though is thought to give a greater range of notes to the singer. The topic of the song deals with a situation which would probably have been recognizable to most people. It also deals with it in quite a down-to-earth and humorous way.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503626

Title

Volume V, song 432, page 444 - 'Widow, are ye waking?' - 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

- 129 x 211 mm