Volume I, song 021 and 22, pages 22 and 23 - 'The Highland Laddie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'Lawland' means lowland, 'row'd' means rolled or wrapped. A 'plaidie' is a plaid or tartan. 'The Lawland Lads think they are fine; But O they're vain and wondrous gawdy! how much unlike that gracefu' mien, And manly looks of my Highland Laddie! O my bonny bonny Highland Laddie, O my handsome Highland Laddie! when I was sick and like to die, he row'd me in his Highland Plaidie.' 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. There are two melodies given for the same song here, and four separate sets of lyrics, including those above. The others begin 1) 'The Lawland Lads think they are fine; / But O, they're vain and idly gawdy', 2) 'The lawland maids gang trig and fine', and 3) 'Ah sure a pair was never seen'. Glen (1900) reports that the melodies were both composed by Allan Ramsay (1686-1758) and were included in his collection of Scottish song, the 'Tea-Table Miscellany' (1724-7). He goes on to say that there are quite a few songs entitled 'The Highland Laddie', and the earliest he had found dated from 1692.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503218

Title

Volume I, song 021 and 22, pages 22 and 23 - 'The Highland Laddie' - 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