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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

Rattlin' Roarin' Willie
 (Sung text for setting by F. Scott)
 See original
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
O Rattlin, roarin Willie,
  O he held to the fair,
An' for to sell his fiddle
  And buy some other ware;
But parting wi' his fiddle,
  The saut tear blin't his e'e;
And Rattlin, roarin Willie,
  Ye're welcome hame to me.

O Willie, come sell your fiddle,
  O sell your fiddle sae fine;
O Willie, come sell your fiddle,
  And buy a pint o' wine;
If I should sell my fiddle,
  The warld would think I was mad,
For mony a rantin day
  My fiddle and I hae had.

As I cam by Crochallan
  I cannily keekit ben,
Rattlin, roarin Willie
  Was sitting at yon board-en' ,
Sitting at yon board-en' ,
  And amang guid companie;
Rattlin, roarin Willie,
  Ye're welcome hame to me!

Glossary
"blint" = blinded
"keekit ben" = peeped in
"boord-en'" = end of the table

Composition:

    Set to music by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Rattlin' Roarin' Willie", published 1939 [ low voice and piano ], from Scottish Lyrics, Book 5, no. 7, Bayley & Ferguson; confirmed with Songs of Francis George Scott, selected and edited by Neil Mackay, Roberton Publications, Aylesbury 1980, page 100.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Rattlin, Roarin Willie"

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 127

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