Lyrics: Robert Burns
Tune: The Muckin O Geordie's Byre (traditional)

Our title track was written by Burns in praise of Phillis (aka Philadephia) McMurdo, younger daughter of John McMurdo of Drumlanrig. We were first drawn to it by the name of our local river, the Nith, but the song is very much about the supreme beauty of Phillis.

Adoon winding Nith I did wander
To mark the sweet flooers as they spring  
Adoon winding Nith I did wander
Of Phillis to muse and to sing

Chorus:
Awa wi your belles and your beauties
They never wi her can compare
Whaever has met wi my Phillis
Has met wi the Queen o the Fair

The daisy amused my fond fancy
So artless, so simple, so wild
Thou emblem said I o my Phillis
For she is simplicity's child

Oh the rose bud's the blush o my charmer
Her sweet balmy lip when tis pressed
How fair and how pure is the lily
But fairer and purer her breast

Yon knot of gay flooers in the arbour
They none wi my Phillis can vie
Her breath is the breath o the woodbine;
Its dew drop o diamond her eye

Her voice is the song o the morning
That wakes through the green spreading grove
When Phebus peeps over the mountains
On music and pleesure and love/p>

Oh but beauty how frail and how fleeting
The bloom o a fine summer's day
While worth in the mind o my Phillis
Will flourish withoot a decay

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody - The Secret Kiss (traditional)

A beautiful song of parting as a soldier drinks a final toast to his Mary before boarding a ship in Leith. Written in 1788, during or shortly after Burns spent some time in Edinburgh.

Gae bring tae me a pint o wine
And fill it in a silver tassie
That I may drink afore I go
A service tae my bonnie lassie
The boat rocks at the Pier o Leith
Fu loud the wind blaws frae the ferry
The ship rides by the Berwick Law
And I maun leave my bonnie Mary

The trumpets sound, the banners fly
The glittering spears they are ranked ready
The shouts o war are heard afar
And the battle closes deep and bloody
It's not the roar o sea or shore
Would mak me langer wish to tarry
Nor shouts o war that's heard afar
Oh it's leaving thee my bonnie Mary

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody – Emily Smith MCPS/PRS

Written by Burns in Brownhill Inn, a former coaching inn just south of Closeburn village, Dumfriesshire. A soldier returns home from the war to be reunited with his sweetheart Nancy who has faithfully waited for him.

When wild war's deadly blast was blawn
And gentle peace returning
Wi mony a sweet baby faitherless
And mony a widow mourning
I left the lines and tented field
Where lang I'd been a lodger
My humble knapsack aa my wealth
A poor and honest soldier

A leal, light heart was in my breast
My hand unstained wi plunder
And for fair Scotia hame again
I cheery on did wander
I thoucht upon the banks of Coil
I thoucht upon my Nancy
And ay I mind't her witching smile
That caught my youthful fancy

At length I reached the bonny glen
Where early life I sported
I passed the mill and trysting thorn
Where Nancy oft I courted
She gazed and reddened like a rose
Syne pale like ony lily
She sank within my arms and cried
Art thou my ain dear Willie?

The wars are o'er and I'm come hame
And find thee still true hairted
Though poor in gear, we're rich in love
And mair we'se ne'er be pairted
Oh said she my grandfather left me gowd
A mailin plenished fairly
And come my faithful soldier boy
Thou'rt welcome to it dearly

For gold the merchant ploughs the main
The farmer ploughs the manor
But glory is the soldier's prize
The soldier's wealth is honour
The brave poor soldier ne'er despise
Nor count him as a stranger
Remember he's his country's stay
In day and hour of danger

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody - Craigieburn Wood (traditional)

Craigieburn Wood is close to the town of Moffat where the Craigieburn runs into the river Moffat.  It was the birthplace of Jean Lorimer, a family friend of Burns whom he also called Chloris.  Jean's good looks attracted the attention of several excise men in the area, in particular a colleague of Burns, Mr John Gillespie.  Burns wrote several poems to Jean on Gillespie's behalf and said himself that she was 'one of the finest women in Scotland'.  Burns obtained the melody from 'the singing of a girl'.

Sweet closes the evening on Craigieburn wood
And blithely awakens the morrow
But the pride o the spring in the Craigieburn wood
Can yield me nought but sorrow

Chorus:
Beyond thee, dearie, beyond thee dearie
Oh to be lying beyond thee
Oh sweetly, soundly, weel may he sleep
That's laid in the bed beyond thee

I see the spreading leaves and flooers
I hear the wild birds singing
But pleesure they hae nane for me
While care my hairt is wringing

I can na tell, I maun na tell
I dare na for your anger
But secret love will break my hairt
If I conceal it langer

I see thee gracefu', straight and tall
I see thee sweet and bonnie
But oh what will my torments be
If thou refuse thy Johnie

But Jeanie say thou wilt be mine
Say though loes nane before me
And all o my days o life to come
I'll gratefully adore thee

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody – The Banks o Banna (traditional Irish tune)

Burns stated in a letter to George Thomson that this was 'the best love-song I ever composed in my life'. It was written for Anna Park, a barmaid in one of Burns's favourite haunts, The Globe Inn in Dumfries.
Anna was known for her free character and was described as a young lady 'with a light foot and a merry eye'. Burns fathered a child to Anna and upon her death their daughter was sent first to Mossgiel and then to Ellisland Farm where she was taken in by Burns' wife Jean Armour and raised as one of her own.

Yestreen I had a pint o wine
A place where body saw na
Yestreen lay on this breast o mine 
The gowden locks o Anna
The hungry Jew in wilderness
Rejoicing ower his manna
Was naethin tae my hiney bliss
Upon the lips o Anna

Ye monarchs tak the east and west
Frae Indus tae Savannah
Gie me within my straining grasp
The melting form o Anna
There I'll despise Imperial charms
An Empress or Sultana
While dying raptures in her arms
I give and take wi Anna

Awa thou flattering God o day
Awa thou pale Diana
Ilk star gae hide thy twinkling ray
When I'm tae meet my Anna
Come in thy raven plumage night
Sun, moon and stars withdrawn aa
And bring an angel pen to write
My transports wi my Anna

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody – Sodger Laddie (traditional)

Burns wrote Soldier Laddie as part of his cantata Love and Liberty, (also known as The Jolly Beggars), a Burnsian satire on propriety and the upper classes. Unfortunately, 'The Jolly Beggars' was suppressed during the poet's lifetime as socially and politically dangerous.

I once was a maid, tho I canna tell when
And still my delight is in proper young men
Someone o a troop o Dragoons was my daddie
Nae wonder I'm fond o a young soldier laddie
Sing fa la la, la la la, la la la laddie

The first o my loves was a swaggering blade
To rattle the thundering drum was his trade
His leg was so tight and his cheek was so ruddy
Transported I was wi my soldier laddie
Sing…..

But the Godly auld chaplain left him in the lurch
So the sword I forsook for the sake o the church
He ventured the soul and I risked the body
'Twas then I proved false to my soldier laddie
Sing…..

Full soon I grew sick o my sanctified sot
The regiment at large for a husband I got
From the gilded spontoon tae the fife I was ready
I asked for nae mair but a young soldier laddie

But the peace it reduced me to beg in despair
Til I met my old boy at a Cunningham fair
His rags regimental they fluttered so gaudy
Oh my hairt it rejoiced at my soldier laddie
Sing…..

And noo I hae lived, I know not how long
And still I can join in a cup and a song
But whilst with both hands I can hold the glass steady
Here's tae ye my love, my ain soldier laddie
Sing…..

Lyrics - Robert Burns/Traditional
Melody - The brave lads of Gala Water (traditional)

A song credited to Burns but thought to also exist in an older form. It tells a happy story of a girl who has fallen for a young man from Gala, or Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

Braw braw lads on Yarrow braes
Rove among the blooming heather
But Yarrow braes, nor Ettrick's shaws
Can match the lads o Gala Water
Braw, braw bonnie lads o

But there is ane, a secret ane
Aboon them aa I loe him better
And I'll be his, and he'll be mine
The bonnie lad o Gala Water
Braw, braw bonnie lads o

Although his daddie was nae laird
And though I hae nae meikle tocher
Yet rich in kindest, truest love
We'll tent oor flocks by Gala Water
Braw, braw bonnie lads o

It ne'er was wealth, it ne'er was wealth
That coft contentment, peace, or pleasure
The bands and bliss o mutual love
O that's the chiefest warld's treasure
Braw, braw bonnie lads o

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody – Whistle ower the lave o it (traditional)

Another song from Burns' cantata 'The Jolly Beggars'. This one was written for a fiddler man with a care free attitude to life assured in the welcome he and his companion will receive at any social gatherings they choose to attend..

Let me ryke up to dight that tear
And gan wi me and be my dear
And let your every care and fear
Whistle ower the lave o it

For I am a fiddler tae my trade
And o aa the tunes that e'er I played
The sweetest yet to wife or maid
Was whistle ower the lave o it

At Kirns an weddins we'se be there
And o sae nicely we would fare
We'll bowse aboot til daddy care
An' Whistle ower the lave o it

Sae merrily's the banes we'll pyke
And sun oorsels aboot the dyke
An at your leisure, whan ye like
We'll whistle ower the lave o it

So bless me wi your heavenly chairms
And while I kittle hair on thairms
Hunger, cauld an' aa sic hairms
May whistle ower the lave o it

Lyrics – Robert Burns (V1&2)/Emily Smith (V3&4) MCPS/PRS Melody – Emily Smith MCPS/PRS

Burns often adapted songs which he collected so we're sure he wouldn't mind that we've given Lassie Lie Near Me a lullaby feel with a new melody and adding a couple of verses.

Lang hae we pairted been
Lassie my dearie
Noo here we are aa met again
Lassie lie near me

Chorus:
Near me, oh near me
Lassie lie near me
Lang hae you lien your lane
Oh lassie lie near me

Aa the things that I hae endured
Lassie my dearie
Here in your arms, oh aa is cured
Lassie lie near me

O aa the days that I've been away
Lassie my dearie
I thoucht on you and oor bairns at play
Oh lassie lie near me

And in the morning will come the sun
Lassie my dearie
Until that hour let us hae oor fun
Oh lassie lie near me

Robert Burns/Traditional

Emily first learnt this song during her years in Glasgow. It was written/collected by Burns in 1788, we have been unable to find a clear source on the origination of the song. The story is a happy tale about a woman very much in love with her ploughman, and a dancing ploughman at that- impressive!

The plooman he's a bonnie lad
His hairt is ever true jo
His garters knit below the knee
And his bonnet it is blue jo

Chorus
Then up wi it aa my plooman lad
Hey my merry plooman
O aa the trades that I dae ken
Commend me tae the plooman

My plooman he comes hame at nicht
He's often wet and wearie
Tak aff the wet, put on the dry
And go to bed my dearie

I will wash my plooman's sark
And I will wash his o'erlay
I will mak my plooman's bed
And cheer him late and early

I've been east and I've been west
And I've been at Saint Johnstone
But the bonniest sicht that I e'er I saw
Was my plooman laddie dancin

Snaw white stockings on his legs
And siller buckles glancing
A guid blue bonnet on his head
And oh but he was handsome

Commend me tae the barn yard
And the corn mou man
Oh I never got my coggie fou
Til I met wi my ploo man

 

Lyrics - Robert Burns
Melody - For a' that an' a' that

Written in 1795, this is one of Burns' greatest and most famous political songs in which he calls for the liberation and universal equality of all people. The song was performed at the reopening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, and aa that
The coward slave we pass him by
We dare be poor for aa that
For aa that, and aa that
Our toils obscure, and aa that
The rank is but the guinea's stamp
The Man's the gowd for aa that

What though on hamely fare we dine
Wear hodden grey, and aa that
Gie fools their silks and knaves their wine
A man's a man for aa that
For aa that, and aa that
Their tinsel show, and aa that
The honest man though e'er sae poor
Is king o men for aa that

Ye see yon birkie ca'd a Lord
Wha struts and stares, and aa that
Though hundreds worship at his word
He's but a coof for aa that
For aa that, and aa that
His ribband star, and aa that
The man of independent mind
He looks and laughs at aa that

A prince can mak a belted knight
A marquis, duke, and aa that
But an honest man's aboon his might
Gude faith he mauna fa that
For aa that, and aa that
Their dignities, and aa that
The pith o sense and pride o worth
Are higher rank than aa that

Then let us pray that come it may
As come it will, for aa that
That sense and worth, o'er aa the earth
Shall bear the gree, and aa that
For aa that, and aa that
Its comin yet for aa that
That man to Man the warld o'er
Shall brothers be for aa that