Dance Oh, whistle and I'll come tae ye, my Lad 5040

This song was written in two parts. In 1787 Robert Burns wrote the first two stanzas for James Johnson’s The Scots Musical Museum. The last two were added in 1793 for George Thomson’s Select Scottish Airs. William Stenhouse reprinted Burns’ song correctly and in its entirety.

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 ye come to court me,
Come down the back stairs when ye come to court me,
Come down the back stairs, and let naebody see,
And come as ye were na coming to me.
And come, &c.
   O whistle, &c.

At kirk or at market, whene’er you meet me,
Gang by me as tho’ that ye cared na a flee;
But steal me a blink o’ your bonnie black ee,
Yet look as ye were na looking at me,
Yet look, &c.
  O whistle, &c.

Ay vow and protest that ye care na for me,
And whiles you may lightlie my beauty a wee,
But court nae anither, tho jockin ye be,
For fear that she wile your fancy frae me,
For fear, &c.
  O whistle, &c.

Stenhouse noted that in certain manuscripts there were variations in the first two stanzas.

O whistle, and I’ll come to thee, my jo,
O whistle, and I’ll come to thee, my jo,
Tho’ father and mither and a’ should say no,
O whistle, and I’ll come to thee, my jo.

But warily tent, when you come to court me,
And come na unless the back yett be a-jee;
Syne up the back style, and let naebody see,
And come as ye were na coming to me.

The tune to which the song was written was a great favourite with Burns. Soem sources state that the tune was Irish and was known as “Noble Sir Arthur” and was used by the Irish playwright and actor John O’Keefe (1747–1833) for his comic opera The Poor Soldier produced at Covent Garden in 1783. Burns, however, claimed that the composer was John Bruce, a fiddler born in Braemar who spent his later years in Dumfries. “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, he is believed to be the author of it.”