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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Saw ye Johnnie comin', quo' she
 (Sung text for setting by F. Mendelssohn)
 See original
Language: English 
Saw ye Johny cumin, quo' she,
  Saw ye Johny cumin:
Wi' his blew bonnet on his head,
  And his dogie rinnin, quo' she,
  And his dogie rinnin?

Fee him, father, fee him, quo' she,
  Fee him, father, fee him;
For he is a gallant lad, and a weil-doin, quo' she,
  And a' the wark about the house
Gaes wi' me when I see him, quo'she,
Gaes wi' me when I see him.

What wad I do wi' him, hussy
What wad I do wi' him?
He has ne'er a sark upon his back,
  And I hae nane to gie him.
I hae twa sarks in my kist neuk,
  And ane of them I'll gie him:
And for a merk of mair fee,
  Dinna stand wi' him, Father,
  Dinna stand wi' him.

For weel do I loe him, quo' she,
  Weel do I loe him;
O fee him, father, fee him, quo' she,
  Fee him, father, fee him;
He'll ha'd the pleugh, thrash in the barn,
  And crack wi' me at e'en, quo' she,
  And crack wi' me at e'en.

Glossary:
Fee = hire
Kist = chest
Merk = silver coin
Ha'd the pleugh = hold the plough
Crack = converse

Composition:

    Set to music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Saw ye Johnnie comin', quo' she", 1839 [ duet for bass and soprano with piano ], from Six Scottish Folksongs (Sechs schottische Nationallieder), no. 4

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "Fee him, father, fee him"

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2010-01-10
Line count: 27
Word count: 198

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