The Book of Scottish Song/John, come kiss me now

John, come kiss me now.

[The tune called "John, come kiss me now," is of great antiquity, but the words to which it was originally sung, with the exception of the chorus, seem to be lost. At the Reformation, an endeavour was made by the more zealous of the clergy to give a spiritual meaning to the songs in popular use, and thus to convert profane or licentious rhymes into holy hymns. Among the songs so metamorphosed was "John, come kiss me now;" and we quote a verse of it in its spiritualized garb, to show the daring and unscrupulous lengths which the early reformers could go in combining familiar images with sacred. The effect is startling.

Johne, cum kiss me now,
Johne, cum kiss me now;
Johne, cum kiss me by and by,
And make no more adow.

The Lord thy God I am,
That John dois thee call;
Johne represents man
By grace celestiall, &c.

The following fragment appears in Herd's Collection, and seems to be all that remains of the original song.]

John, come kiss me now, now, now,
O John come kiss me now,
John come kiss me by and by,
And make nae mair ado.

Some will court and compliment,
And make a great ado,
Some will make of their goodman,
And sae will I of you.
John, come kiss, &c.

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