More about this song
This song was reworked by Burns from a traditional dialogue song that appeared in The Tea Table Miscellany.
The major adaptation that Burns made was to recast the piece to focus on one of the key themes of his oeuvre: love verses wealth.
Burns first makes reference to the song in a letter to George Thomson in October 1792, where he notes that a reworking of it is in his thoughts.
He was still arguing with Thomson over the use of Scotticisms in the song by 26 January 1793.
In a staunch defence of the language chosen, Burns wrote, "There is a naïveté, a pastoral simplicity, in a slight intermixture of Scots words and phraseology, which is more in unison (at least to my taste, and I will add, to every genuine Caledonian taste,) with the simple pathos, or rustic sprightliness, of our native music, than any English verses whatever".
This echoes previous arguments which Burns had with Thomson over the use of the Scots language in his songs, for example their debate over Adown winding Nith I did wander.
Ralph McLean
