Volume II, song 187, page 195 - 'O'er the water to Charlie'...
Volume II, song 187, page 195 - 'O'er the water to Charlie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'Come boat me o'er, come row me o'er, Come boat me o'er to Charlie; I'll gie John Ross another bawbee, To boat me o'er to Charlie. We'll o'er the water, we'll o'er the sea, We'll o'er the water to Charlie; Come weal, come woe, we'll gather and go, And live or die wi' Charlie.'
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.
It is thought that this piece is of Scottish origin, and it can be found under many other names; 'The Pot Stick', ' The Irish Pot Stick', 'Shanbuie', 'Over the water' and 'Over the Water to Charlie'. Although the allusion to Prince Charlie at this date is clear, the song was published many years before his appearance in Scotland. It is thought that a popular tune was changed to meet the propaganda needs of the time.
Volume II, song 187, page 195 - 'O'er the water to Charlie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)