The Book of Scottish Song/O, whistle
O, whistle.
[The air called "O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad," was composed by John Bruce, a famous fiddler in Dumfries, about the middle of the last century. O'Keefe introduced it into his comic opera of "The Poor Soldier," acted at Covent Garden in 1783. "Since love is the plan, I'll love if I can," is the opening of the song to which it is there adapted. Burns wrote two sets of words to the tune—retaining the name of the tune for his opening line—the first set, consisting of only two verses, written in 1787 for Johnson's Museum; the second set written in 1793 for Thomson's collection. We give both.]
I.
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 you come to court me,
Come down the back stairs when you come to court me,
Come down the back stairs, and let nae body see,
And come as ye were na coming to me.
II.
O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad;
O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad;
Tho' father, and mother, and a' should gae mad,
O, whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad.
But warily tent, when you come to court me,
And come na unless the back-yett be a-jee;
Syne up the back-stile, and let nae body see,
And come as ye were na comin' to me,
And come as ye were na comin' to me.
O, whistle, &c.
At kirk or at market, whene'er ye meet me,
Gang by me as though that ye cared na a flie;
But steal me a blink o' your bonnie black e'e,
Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me,
Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me.
O, whistle, &c.
Aye vow and protest that ye care na for me,
And whyles ye may lichtly my beauty a wee;
But court na anither, though jokin' ye be,
For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me,
For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me.
O, whistle, &c.