Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Songs of Scotland > Volume 2

COM[K THRO THE RYE.
11
a t'miM
Gin a body meet a body
Comin' frae the well,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body tell ?
Uka lassie has her laddie.
Ne'er a ane ha'e I ;
But a' the lads they smile on mo
When comin' thro' the rye.
Gin a body meet a body
Comin' frae the town,
Gin a body greet a body.
Need a body gloom.
Uka lassie has her laddie,
Nane they say ha'e I ;
But a' the lads they lo'e me weel,
And what the waur am I ?
Miss Stephens was accustomed to conclude the song with the following lines sung to the first part of the air :-
Amang the train there is a swain
I dearly lo'e mysel' ;
But whaur his hame, or what his name,
I dinna care to tell.
* Each ; every.
" Comin' thro' the rye." There are three versions of this air inserted in Johnson's Museum, the first of which
was probably communicated by Burns. As the second is the most popular, as well as the most characteristic, we
have adopted it in this work. Mr. Stenhouse's Notes upon them are as follows : — " 1st Set. This song was written
by Burns. The air is taken from the third and fourth strains of the strathspey called ' The Miller's Daughter.' See
Gow's First Collection." — " 2d Set. The words and music of this song, beginning, ' Gin a body meet a bodj',' are
parodied from the first set, which was published as a single sheet song before it was copied into the Museum. Mr.
John Watlen, musician and music-seller, formerly in Edinburgh, now in London, afterwards altered the first strain
of the former tune a little, and published it with the new words. His edition had a considerable run." The
third version is adapted to the words, " I've been courtmg at a lass, these twenty days and mair." It bears a
Btriking resemblance to the others ; but is styled by Mr. Stenhouse, " Ah, ha ! Johnnie, lad, you're nae sae kind's
ye sud ha' been." See Museum Illustrations, vol. v. p. 377.
The following stanzas are very frequently sung to this air ; they were written by Mr. Dunlop, Collector of
Customs, PortGlasgow : —
Oh ! dinna ask me gin I lo'e thee ;
Troth, I daurna tell :
Dinna ask me gin I lo'e ye ;
Ask it o' yoursel'.
Oh ! dinna look sae sair at me.
For weel ye ken me true ;
0, gin ye look sae sair at me,
I daurna look at you.
When ye gang to yon braw, braw town,
And bonnier lasses see,
0, dinna, Jamie, look at them.
Lest you should mind na me.
For I could never bide the lass
That ye'd lo'e mair than me ;
And 0, I'm sure, my heart would break,
Gin ye'd prove false to me.