Volume V, song 481, pages 494 and 495 - 'The maid gaed to the Mill' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'The maid's gane to the mill by night; Hech hey, sae wanton; The maid's gane to the mill by night, Hech hey sae wanton she. She's sworn by moon and stars sae bright, That she wad hae her corn ground, That she wad hae her corn ground Mill and multure free.' 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. This rather bawdy song would no doubt have amused Burns greatly given the nature of many of his lyrics. The word 'corn' in this piece is used in a euphemistic fashion. Its inclusion is quite remarkable given the fact that Johnson vetoed other well-known folksongs because of their play on words. The lyrics have been adapted to melody which was previously included in the 'Museum', 'John Anderson my jo' (song 260).

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503675

Title

Volume V, song 481, pages 494 and 495 - 'The maid gaed to the Mill' - 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

- 258 x 211 mm