Hey Ca' Thro
written in 1792
Hey Ca' Thro - meaning Summary
Rural Celebration and Communal Life
Burns' "Hey Ca' thro" celebrates rural communal life through a brisk, repetitive refrain that gathers townspeople across parishes for song, stories, drink, and spending. The poem names local groups—men, lads, women—then emphasizes shared merriment and material pleasure. Its tone is straightforward and convivial rather than reflective; the chorus both summons neighbors and asserts a communal right to enjoyment. The closing couplet frames the pattern as generational: live fully now and encourage those who follow to do the same, a plain endorsement of convivial continuity.
Read Complete AnalysesUp wi' the carls of Dysart, And the lads o' Buckhiven, And the Kimmers o' Largo, And the lasses o' Leven. Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do, Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do. We hae tales to tell, And we hae sangs to sing; We hae pennies to spend, And we hae pints to bring. Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do, Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do. We'll live a' our days, And them that comes behin', Let them do the like, And spend the gear they win. Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do, Hey ca' thro' ca' thro' For we hae mickle a do.
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