"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is a Scottish folk song written by Robert Burns in 1787 and later edited in 1793.
Lyrics[]
The original poem consists of just a refrain and a single stanza; six years later, Burns modified his poem with three stanzas and refrains, which was written for George Thomson's A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice.
Original 1787 poem[]
Chorus:
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.
1793 poem[]
Chorus:
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.
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.
Chorus
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.
Chorus
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.
Chorus
Trivia[]
- There is a ghost story of the same name written in 1904 by M. R. James.