Rattlin' Roarin' Willie
written in 1788
Rattlin' Roarin' Willie - fact Summary
Crochallan Fencibles Reference
Written in 1788, "Rattlin' Roarin' Willie" is a convivial Scots song that centers on a fiddler named Willie and the social world around him. The poem repeatedly greets Willie and sketches a tavern scene where he considers selling his fiddle but is gently reproached by companions. A notable factual anchor is its reference to Crochallan, a real Edinburgh tavern (the Crochallan Fencibles) that Robert Burns frequented, linking the poem to the poet’s social life and the convivial clubs of late-18th-century Edinburgh.
Read Complete AnalysesO 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, roaring 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 warl' would think I was mad; For mony a rantin day My fiddle and I hae had. As I cam by Crochallan, I cannilie keekit ben; Rattlin, roarin Willie Was sitting at yon boord-en', Sitting at yon boord-en', And amang gude companie; Rattlin, roarin Willie, Ye're welcome hame to me!
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