Volume III, song 292, page 302 - 'Killiecrankie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'Whare hae ye been sae braw, lad! Whare hae ye been sae brankie O? Whare hae ye been sae braw lad? Cam ye by Killiecrankie O? An ye had been whare I hae been, Ye wad na been sae cantie O; An ye had seen what I hae seen, I' th' braes o' Killiecrankie O?' 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. Glen (1900) believes that this tune was first linked to Killiecrankie just after the famous battle there (1689). The tune first appeared in the Leyden Tablature manuscript (1692), called 'Killie Crankie'. Burns wrote the lyrics for this version, with the exception of the chorus. The words for the chorus are from a song called 'My Mistres blush is bonny', which appears in the Skene Manuscripts (c.1615-35).

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503488

Title

Volume III, song 292, page 302 - 'Killiecrankie' - 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

- 132 x 211 mm