The Book of Scottish Song/Johnnie's Grey Breeks

Johnnie’s Grey Breeks.

[The air called "Johnnie's Grey Breeks" is one of the most beautiful in the whole range of Scottish melody, and yet nothing is known of its history. It is given in Oswald's collection, 1742, both according to the original way, in triple time, and also in common time, the latter supposed to be done by Oswald himself. Burns says, "Though it has certainly every evidence of being a Scottish air, yet there is a well-known tune in the north of Ireland, called 'The Weaver and his Shuttle, O,' which, though sung much quicker, is every note the very tune." The old Scotch song of "Johnnie's Grey Breeks" is, however, much older than "The Weaver and his Shuttle, O," and the latter must therefore have borrowed the air from the former. We cannot give the original version of the song, some of which might be considered rather coarse for "modern ears polite," but we give a modified set of it, which is still of considerable antiquity, and used to be popular at our country firesides. In Johnson's Museum, another set of words is given to the same tune, beginning,

"Now smiling spring again appears
With all the beauties of her train,
Love soon of her arrival hears,
And files to wound the gentle swain;"—

which Burns pronounces to be execrable—and certainly the song is not worth quoting.]

When I was in my se'nteen year,
I was baith blythe and bonnie, O;
The lads lo'ed me baith far and near,
But I lo'ed nane but Johnnie, O:
He gain'd my heart in twa three weeks,
He spake sae blythe and kindly, O;
And I made him new grey breeks,
That fitted him most finely, O.

He was a handsome fellow:
His humour was baith frank and free;
His bonnie locks sae yellow,
Like gowd they glitter'd in my e'e:
His dimpled chin and rosy cheeks,
And face sae fair and ruddy, O;
And then a-days his grey breeks
Were neither auld nor duddy, O.

But now they are threadbare worn,
They're wider than they wont to be;
They're tash'd-like and sair torn,
And clouted upon ilka knee.
But gin I had a simmer's day,
As I ha'e had right monie, O,
I'd make a web o' new grey,
To be breeks to my Johnnie, O.

For he's weel wordy o' them,
And better, gin I had to gi'e,
And I'll tak' pains upo' them,
Frae faults I'll strive to keep them free.
To cleid him weel shall be my care,
To please him a' my study, O!
But he maun wear the auld pair
A wee, though they be duddy, O.

For when the lad was in his prime,
Like him there warna monie, O.
He ca'd me aye his bonnie thing,
Sae wha wadna lo'e Johnnie, O?
O, I lo'e Johnnie's grey breeks,
For a' the care they've gi'en me yet,
And gin we live another year,
We'll mak' them hale between us yet.

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