Volume I, song 044, page 44 - 'There's nae luck about the House' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'And are ye sure the News, is true? And are ye sure He's well? Is this a time to tawk of wark? Mak haste! set by your wheel! Is this a time to tawk of wark, when Colin's at the door! Gie me my cloak! I'll to ye Quey, And see him come ashore. For there's nae luck about the house, There's nae luck ava; There's little pleasure in the House, When our Goodman's awa'.' 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 believed this to be 'one of the most beautiful songs in the Scots, or any other language. The two lines: 'And will I see his face again! / And will I hear him speak?' (verse 5) as well as the two preceding ones, are unequalled almost by anything I ever heard or read: and the lines, 'The present moment is our ain / The neist we never saw' (verse 6) are worthy of the first poet.' Burns mentions its appearance as a ballad around 1771, and believes the composition of the song itself was not much before this time.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503239

Title

Volume I, song 044, page 44 - 'There's nae luck about the House' - 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

- 130 x 211 mm