O, Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad

"This air has generally been considered of Irish origin, because it was adapted to a song written by John O'Keefe, Esq. in his comic opera of the Poor Soldier, which was first acted at Covent Garden in 1783.

The song begins Since love is the plan, Ill love if I can. But the tune was composed by the late John Bruce, an excellent fiddle-player in Dumfries, upwards of thirty years before that period.

Burns, in corroboration of this fact, says, "this I know, Bruce, who was an honest man, though a red-wud Highlander, constantly claimed it; and by all the old musical people here, (viz. Dumfries) he is believed to be the author of it."

Reliques. This air was a great favourite of Burns. In 1787, he wrote the two stanzas in the Museum, and in August 1793, he added two more."

O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad,
O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad,
Tho' father and mither and a' should gae mad,
O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad.

Come down the back stairs when you come to court me,
Come down the back stairs when you come to court me,
Come down the back stairs, and let nae body see,
And come as ye were na coming to me.

But warily tent, when ye come to court me,
And come na unless the back-yett be a-jee;
Syne up the back-stile, and let nae body see,
And come as ye were na comin' to me,
And come as ye were na comin' to me.

Chorus

At kirk or at market, whene'er ye meet me,
Gang by me as though that ye cared na a flie;
But steal me a blink o' your bonnie black e'e,
Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me,
Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me.

Chorus

Aye vow and protest that ye care na for me,
And whyles ye may lichtly my beauty a wee;
But court na anither, though jokin' ye be,
For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me,
For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me.

Chorus