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Sleeve Notes
Meg O' The Mill: This tells of the comic marriage of the rather grotesque "Meg O' the Mill", which was written down by Robert Burns for Johnson's "Scots' Musical Museum". As was common with Burns' songs, he took the themes from folk lore and amplified them. Burns also sent a copy of this song to George Thompson for publication in his "Scottish Airs", but was requested to rewrite it, "cleaning" and polishing up the language. This Burns originally refused to do, until his perpetual financial troubles forced him to forget his principles. The version given here is the original.
Macpherson's Rant: James Macpherson. Outlaw. Cattle thief. Rogue -and one of the more colourful figures of Scotland. He was a strong, tall and handsome man with a gentleman father and a gypsy mother, who led a band of gypsies which, like Robin Hood, robbed the rich and helped the poor. For some years this banditry continued until after a desperate battle with the Sheriff's men on November 7th, 1700, he was captured and sentenced to death.
Macpherson was undoubtedly a brave man, and probably also a braggart. On his way to and under the gallows, he played his violin and danced a jig. When finished, he broke the instrument and threw the pieces to the crowd. At this time, a messenger from the King was approaching Banff with a reprieve, but was seen by the Sheriff's men who, in order to ensure their future peace, advanced the. local clock by a few minutes, so that when the messenger arrived, Macpherson was already dead. Another variant may be heard on JES. 8 by Jeannie Robertson.
My Bonny Laddie's Lang A-Growin': One of the greatest and most beautiful of all Scottish ballads. What is it in mankind that makes us see beauty in so much sadness? — for this also is a sad story.
In November, 1634, John Craigston, a wealthy landowner, died, leaving his possessions to his young grandson, whose guardian, Laird Innes, wanted the estate for himself, so married the boy to his eldest daughter, Elizabeth. The boy fathered a son and shortly after died. Married, father, dead and not yet left school! (Who wants to return to the "good old days"?)
Later Burns collected a version of this ballad and wrote a song which he called "Lady Mary Ann", printed in "Scots' Musical Museum" in 1792.
Many versions of this ballad exist in different countries, and it is interesting to compare this version with that by Dominic Behan (JEI. 1) under the title "Bonny Boy".
Leezie Lindsay: Donald MacDonald of Kingcausie, near Aberdeen, disguised himself as a poor man and wooed Leezie Lindsay in Edinburgh. He married her and took her home with him and then revealed his true identity as that of an heir to an estate.
This version is but a fragmentary one of a song known and sung throughout all Scotland. Burns collected a version which was printed the year he died, 1796, in "Scots' Musical Museum". The American collector, Francis J. Child, printed eight versions of this ballad which, to the best of our knowledge, remains exclusively to be found in Scotland.
Notes by ROBIN HALL & COLIN POMROY