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Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie

[ Roud 6192 ; Ballad Index DTrtlnro ; trad., Robert Burns]

Ewan MacColl sang Rattlin Roarin Willie in 1959 on his Folkways album Songs of Robert Burns.

In Rattlin, Roarin Willie Burns added a final stanza to an immensely popular traditional song. The stanza honours “one of the worthiest fellows in the world, William Dunbar…”. Dunbar was presiding officer of the Crochallan Fencibles, an Edinburgh club of convivial bachelors of which Burns was a leading member.

Sweeney’s Men sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willy in 1968 on their eponymous Transatlantic album, Sweeney’s Men. They also sang it in June 2012 at Andy Irvine’s 70^th Birthday Concert. Andy Irvine noted:

A song written by Robert Burns and learned by Johnny [Moynihan] from Luke Kelly when he first appeared on the Irish folk scene. Johnny thinks Luke may have picked it up from Ewan MacColl in England. Johnny and I worked this one up in the kitchen of his parents’ house in Dalymount. It was the beginning of the bouzouki/mandola combination that became a standard in Sweeney’s Men and later, Planxty.

Dick Gaughan sang Rattlin Roarin Willie in 1972 on his first Trailer album No More Forever. He noted on his now defunct website:

Deals with the terrible dilemma facing Willie the fiddler when the only way he could afford a drink would be to sell his instrument. The guitar tuning used on this track was DADEAE, a tuning I learned from Martin Carthy.

Contraband sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie in 1974 on their eponymous Transatlantic album, Contraband. This track was later included on the 2004 anthology Transatlantic Folk Box Set, and on the 2006 Castle Music anthology of British and Irish folks songs from Transatlantic albums 1955-1978, Anthems in Eden.

Jean Redpath sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie in 1976 on her Trailer album There Were Minstrels, and in 1981 on her Philo/Greentrax album The Songs of Robert Burns Volumes 4 where Serge and Esther Hovey noted:

The melody is a classic bagpipe tune from the border country and the original Willie is thought to have been an ancient minstrel. In the Interleaved Museum, Burns wrote: “The last stanza of the song is mine and out of compliment to one of the worthiest fellows in the world, William Dunbar, Esq.” Dunbar was the “Colonel” of the Crochallan Fencibles, a social club consisting of some of Edinburgh’s prominent lawyers, politicians, and editors who enjoyed drinking, singing, and matching wits.

George Drennan sang Rattlin, Roarin Willie in 1996 on Ron Shaw’s album of songs of Robert Burns, Pride and Passion.

Hector Gilchrist and Liz Thomson sang Rattlin, Roarin Willie in 1996 on their WildGoose album of the songs of Robert Burns, The Lea Rig.

Rod Paterson sang O, Rattlin, Roarin Willie in 1996 on the Linn anthology The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 1.

Margaret Christl sang Rattlin Roarin Willie on her 1998 album The Picture in My Mind.

Janet Russell & Christine Kydd sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie on their 2004 Greentrax CD Dancin’ Chantin’. They noted:

A well known piece sometimes attributed to Robert Burns, which lends itself well to various arrangement tricks, and begs to be danced to.

Chris Ormston played Rattlin Roarin Willie on his Border pipes in 2007 on the anthology Borders Pipes (Borders Traditions Volume 5).

Ian Bruce sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie in 2010 on his Lochshore album Rhythm & Burns.

Kirsten Easdale sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie as part of Miss Dunbar of Boath’s Set on Bring in the Spirit’s 2012 promo EP and on their 2024 anthology Bring in the Spirit. She noted:

All of the pieces in this set (3 tunes and 1 song) are titled for relatives or close friends of Miss Helen Dunbar of Boath (1775-1835)—all of whom, had close connections with Robert Burns (1759-1796). Described by geologist and writer, Hugh Miller (1802-1856) as “a literary lady of the high type of the last age…” Helen’s 1793 Edinburgh Edition Vol II found it’s way to me in 2008.

The 3 fiddle tunes in this set were all written by Donald Grant (c.1760- c.1835), the Elgin fiddler-composer and dancing master. These tunes were first published in 1790 in A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Jigs etc.. The collection was dedicated to his patron Mrs Colonel Grant of Grant. The Grants were near neighbours and close family friends of Helen’s family, and it is highly probable that she herself danced to Donald’s fiddle playing at Castle Grant gatherings.

[Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie is] an old traditional song, to which Robert Burns added a last verse. First published in James Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum (Edinburgh 1788), Vol. II No. 194. Burns says of this, ”The last stanza of this song is mine: it was composed out of compliment to one of the worthiest fellows in the world, William Dunbar Esq, writer to the signet Edinburgh, and Colonel of the Crochallan Corps—a club of wits who took that title at the lime of raising the Fencible regiments. RB.” The ‘Crochallan’ part of the title came from the innkeeper of the Anchor Close tavern (where the Crochallan Fencibles met), Dawney Douglas loved whistling the old Gaelic air Cro Chalien (Colin’s Cattle).

William Dunbar of Boath W.S. (c.1740-1807) was Helen’s uncle, and also grew up at Boath house.

Ewan MacLennan sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie in 2014 on his Fellside album Stories Still Untold.

Claire Hastings, Robyn Stapleton and Ainsley Hamill sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie on the TMSA Young Trad Tour 2015. The liner notes commented:

The “Willie” referred to in this song is Mr William Smellie, an Edinburgh printer and acquaintance of Robert Burns who printed the first Edinburgh edition of his poems. Claire brought the initial arrangement to the group, and the three singers worked together to perfect the harmonies and final arrangement.

George Duff sang Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie on his 2016 CD The Collier Laddie.

Lyrics

Ewan MacColl sings Rattlin Roarin Willie

O 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’ee—
Rattlin’ roarin’ Willie ye’re welcome hame to me!

“O Willie, come sell your fiddle, an’ sell your fiddle sae fine;
O Willie, come sell your fiddle and buy a pint o’ wine!”
“If I should sell my fiddle the warld would think I was mad;
For monie 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 boord-en’
Sitting at yon boord-en’ and among guid companie!
Rattlin, roarin Willie ye’re welcome hame tae me.

Dick Gaughan sings Rattlin Roarin Willie

Rattlin Roarin Willie, he held tae the fair
For tae sell his fiddle an buy some ither wares
Pairtin wi his fiddle the saut tear blint his ee—
Rattlin Roarin Willie ye’re walcom hame tae me!

“Willie come sell yer fiddle, come sell yer fiddle sae fine;
Willie come sell yer fiddle an buy a pint o wine!”
“Were A tae sell ma fiddle the warl wad think A wis mad;
Mony’s the rattlin time the fiddle an A hae had.”

As A cam by Crochallan, A cannily keekit ben
An Rattlin Roarin Willie wis sittin at yon board-en,
Sittin at yon board-en amang guid companie!
Rattlin Roarin Willie ye’re walcom hame tae me.

Janet Russell and Christine Kydd sing Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie

Rattlin’ roarin’ Willie he held tae the fair
For tae sell his fiddle and buy some other ware;
Pairtin’ wi’ his fiddle the saut tear blin’ his e’ee
Rattlin’ roarin’ Willie ye’re welcome hame tae me

“Willie, come sell yer fiddle, come sell yer fiddle sae fine
Willie, come sell yer fiddle and buy a pint o’ wine.”
“If I should sell my fiddle the world wad think I was mad
Mony’s the rantin’ day my fiddle and I hae had.”

As I cam by Crockallan I cannily keekit ben
Rattlin’ roarin’ Willie was sittin’ by yon boorden
Sittin’ by yon boorden and among guid company
Rattlin’ roarin’ Willie ye’re welcome hame tae me

Bring in the Spirit sing Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie

Rattlin, roarin Willie, he held untae the fair,
For to sell his fiddle and buy some other ware;
But parting wi’ his fiddle, the saut tear blin’t his e’e—
Rattlin, roarin Willie, ye’re welcome hame to me!

O Willie, come sell your fiddle, come sell your fiddle sae fine!
Willie come sell your fiddle and buy a pint o’ wine!
If I was to sell my fiddle. the warld would think I was mad;
Monie’s the rantin day my fiddle and I hae had.

Rattlin roarin Willie, whaur hae ye been sae late?
I’ve been to see my Peggy sae weel as I ken the gate,
Sae weel as I ken the gate an’ the tirlin o the pin.
Gang I late or early she’ll rise and let me in.

As I cam by Crochallan, I cannily keckit ben,
Rattlin, roarin Willie was sitting at yon boord-en:
Sitting at yon boord-en, and amang guid companie!
Rattlin, roarin Willie, ye’re welcome hame to me.