O Whistle, and I'll Come to Ye, My Lad
written in 1793
O Whistle, and I'll Come to Ye, My Lad - meaning Summary
Secret Courtship Made Playful
Burns's song is a playful, confident speaker promising secret meetings with her lover despite parental opposition. Jeanie gives practical, repeated instructions for discreet rendezvous—whistle as a summons, use the back-stile, behave publicly as if indifferent—turning courtship into a lightly conspiratorial game. The repeated chorus of willingness and the mix of teasing command and tender reassurance make the poem both spirited and intimate. It frames romantic desire as determined, resourceful, and communal: a shared code that resists social barriers while celebrating the lovers' private bond.
Read Complete AnalysesO Whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad, O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad; Tho' father, and mother and a' should gae mad, Thy Jeanie will venture wi' ye, my lad. But warily tent when ye come to court me, And come nae unless the back-yett be a-jee; Syne up the back-stile and let naebody see, And come as ye were na comin' to me, And come as ye were na comin' to me. O Whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad, O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad; Tho' father, and mother and a' should gae mad, Thy Jeanie will venture wi' ye, my lad. At kirk, or at market, whene'er ye meet me, Gang by me as tho' that ye car'd nae a flie; But steal me a blink o' your bonie black e'e, Yet look as ye were na lookin' to me, Yet look as ye were na lookin' to me. O Whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad, O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad; Tho' father, and mother and a' should gae mad, Thy Jeanie will venture wi' ye, my lad. Aye vow and protest that ye care na for me, And whyles ye may lightly my beauty a wee; But court nae anither, tho' jokin' ye be, For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me, For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me. O Whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad, O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad; Tho' father, and mother and a' should gae mad, Thy Jeanie will venture wi' ye, my lad.
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