Volume I, song 100, page 101 - 'Johnny and Mary' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'Down the burn, and thro' the mead, His golden locks wav'd o'er his brow, Johnny lilting tun'd his reed, and Mary wip'd her bonny Mou'. Dear she loo'd the well known Song, while her Johnny; blithe and bonny, sung her praise the whole day long. Down the burn and thro' the mead, his golden locks wav'd o'er his brow Johnny lilting tun'd his reed, and Mary wip'd her bonny mou'. 'Mou' is the Scots word for mouth. 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 illustrates the difficulties of collecting and tracing the provenance of songs from the oral tradition. There is no information given on this song in the Scots Musical Museum itself, and it is not attributed to Burns. Burns and his friend, Robert Riddell, both kept personal commentaries on the songs, but again there is nothing recorded against this entry. Even the melody remains unattributed and undiscussed. It would appear then that this particular song can only be enjoyed for the lyrics and melody as they stand today.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503295

Title

Volume I, song 100, page 101 - 'Johnny and Mary' - 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