Volume IV, song 336, page 346 - 'Eppie McNab' - Scanned...
Volume IV, song 336, page 346 - 'Eppie McNab' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'O saw ye my dearie Eppie McNab. O saw ye my dearie Eppie McNab. She's down in the yard, She's kissin' the Laird, She winna come hame to her ain Jock Rab. O come thy ways to me Eppie McNab; O come thy ways to me my Eppie McNab; Whate'er thou has done, be it late be it soon; Thou's welcome again to thy ain Jock Rab.'
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.
Burns wrote notes on some of the songs, at his friend Robert Riddell's request, in Riddell's copy of the 'Museum'. While some of these are informative anecdotes others tend to be brief, terse observations. This quote although brief, is at least personal to Burns, 'The old song with this title, has more wit than decency'. The tune first appeared in Oswald's 'Collection of Curious Scots Tunes' (1742), although it went by the name of 'Appie M'Nab'.
Volume IV, song 336, page 346 - 'Eppie McNab' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)