The Book of Scottish Song/Fee him, Father
Fee him, Father.
[This beautifully simple song first appeared in Herd's Collection, 1776. Fraser, a hautbois player in Edinburgh, and acquainted with Burns, distinguished himself by his manner of playing the air. "When he plays it slow," says Burns, "he makes it, in fact, the language of despair." Fraser died in 1825.]
Saw ye Johnny comin', quo' she,
Saw ye Johnny comin'.
Saw ye Johnny comin', quo' she,
Saw ye Johnny comin;
Saw ye Johnny comin', quo' she,
Saw ye Johnny comin';
Wi' his blue bonnet on his head,
And his doggie rinnin', quo' she,
And his doggie rinnin'?
Fee him, father, fee him, quo' she,
Fee him, father, fee him;
Fee him, father, fee him, quo' she,
Fee him, father, fee him;
For he is a gallant lad,
And a weel-doin';
And a' the wark about the house,
Gaes wi' me when I see him, quo' she,
Wi' me when I see him.
What will I do wi' him, quo' he,
What will I do wi' him?
He's ne'er a sark upon his back,
And I ha'e nane to gi'e him.
I ha'e twa sarks into my kist,
And ane o' them I'll gi'e him;
And for a merk o' mair fee
Dinna stand wi' him, quo' she,
Dinna stand wi' him.
For weel do I lo'e him, quo' she,
Weel do I lo'e him;
For weel do I lo'e him, quo' she,
Weel do I lo'e him.
O fee him, father, fee him. quo' she,
Fee him, father, fee him;
He'll haud the pleugh, thrash in the barn,
And crack wi' me at e'en, quo' she,
And crack wi' me at e'en.