Captain Wedderburn- Christie 1881
Traditional Ballad Airs: Volume 2 - Page 49 by William Christie - 1881
This Air is given note for note as sung by the Editor's maternal-grandfather to ''Captain Wedderburn'.' The Editor has been unable to discover what Ballad or song it was sung to, before being sung latterly to "The Laird of Roslin's daughter'.' There are only a few verses of the very long song given here, as it is quite unsuited for this Work. It is in "Blackie's Book of Scottish Songs',' p. 70. Whitelaw says, "This diverting ditty was at one time very popular among the country people of Scotland. It can be traced no farther back than to the "New British Songster',' a collection published at Falkirk in 1785'.'
Captain Wedderburn
The Laird of Roslin's daughter
Walk'd through the wood her lane;
And by cam' Captain Wedderburn,
A servant to the king.
He says, "My pretty lady,
I pray, lend me your hand,
And ye'll ha'e drums and trumpets
Always at your command."
"Oh! haud awa' frae me," she said,
"And pray let gae my hand;
The supper bell it will be rung;
I can nae langer stand."
"But," said the pretty lady,
"I pray tell me your name."
"My name is Captain Wedderburn,
A servant to the king."
He lichtit affhis milk-white steed,
And set this lady on;
And a' the way he walked on foot,
He held her by the hand.
Little kenned Girzie Sinclair,
That morning when she rase,
That this wad be the hindermost
O' a' her single days.