Story Behind the Song
Written by Robert Burns, who took pains to form a collection of old fashioned and highly spiced Scotch songs expressly for
the use of a gentlemen's club he helped to found. The purpose was to preserve, unchanged, the old songs and ballads. These
songs entered largely into the social enjoyments of the club. This can be understood in the words of Rattlin' Roarin' Willie. Instead of selling out for more censored and anglicized songs and ballads, "Willie" decided not to "sell his fiddle and buy a pint o' wine", but instead to keep and preserve the culture.
Lyrics
O' rattlin', roarin' Willie, O, he held to the fair,
An' for to sell his fiddle an' buy some other ware
But parting wi' his fiddle, the saut tear blint his e'e
And rattlin', roarin', Willie, Ye're welcome hame to me
O, Willie, come sell your fiddle, come, sell your fiddle sae fine
O Willie come sell your fiddle, and buy a pint o' wine
If I should sell my fiddle, the worl' would think I was mad
For many a rantin' day my fiddle and I hae had
As I cam' by Crochallan, I cannily keekit ben
Rattlin', roarin' Willie was sitting at yon boorden'
Siting at yon boorden' and amang guid company
Rattlin', roarin', Willie, ye're welcome hame to me
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