> Folk Music > Songs > The Silver Tassie

The Silver Tassie / My Bonny Mary

[ Roud 30954 ; DT SLVRTASE ; Mudcat 78921 , 174511 ; Robert Burns]

The Scots Musical Museum

Robert Burns’ song My Bony Mary was printed in 1790 in Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum, Volume 3, no.231, p.240, to a melody by James Oswald called Sweetest Kiss, and with the title Come, Fetch to Me a Pint o’ Wine in the early 1820s in George Thomson’s A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice, no.189, to the air The Old Highland Laddie. It has become popular sung to a different melody printed by Ewan MacColl in his book Scotland Sings published by the Workers’ Music Association in 1953.

Archie Anderson sang Gae Bring to Me a Pint o’ Wine in June 1910 on the Rena 78rpm 10" shellac record 1348.

Ian MacPherson sang Gae Bring tae Me a Pint o’ Wine in probably 1937 on the Parlophone 78rpm 10" shellac record F 3044.

Nigel Denver sang The Silver Tassie, using James Oswald’s tune, on his 1968 album of collected songs of Robert Burns, There Was a Lad, with material compiled by Jim McLean.

Archie Fisher sang The Silver Tassie in 1970 on his Decca album Orfeo. The album notes say that the tune is by him but Jim McLean on Mudcat argues that it is the tune from MacColl’s book.

Jean Redpath sang Silver Tassie in 1973 on her Folk-Legacy album Frae My Ain Countrie. She noted:

As with so many more songs, covering everything from the big ballads to street songs, I picked this one up at home. The fact that they were usually an accompaniment to the vacuum cleaner or dish-washing hasn’t prejudiced me against the material at all!

Burns, who contributed the song (as My Bonnie Mary) to The Scots Musical Museum in 1790, said of it in a letter, “The first stanza of the song is old, the rest is mine”. There seems to be some confusion about whether or not he replaced the first four lines at a later date.

Alistair Anderson played the tune of Silver Tassie in 1979 on his Front Hall / Topic album of rants, reels and airs from Northumberland and Scotland, Dookin’ for Apples.

Sheena Wellington sang Silver Tassie in 1995 on her Greentrax album recorded live at Nitten (Newtongrange) Folk Club, Strong Women. She noted:

Originally published in the Scots Musical Museum as a traditional song, by September 1793 Burns was claiming it as his own with the words “the first half stanza of the song is old, the rest is mine”. The tune in SMM is called The Secret Kiss, that in George Thompson’s work The Old Highland Laddie. This melody, which I learned from my father, is neither of these and seems to have emerged in the late nineteenth century. My thanks to Dr Kirsteen McCue of the Scottish Music Information Centre for her help.

Rod Paterson sang Gae Bring tae Me a Pint o’ Wine in 1996 on his Greentrax album of Robert Burns songs, Songs From the Bottom Drawer. He noted:

Archie Fisher’s version has become so definitive, it’s hard to imagine Burns hearing the song any other way. This, however, is his choice of tune.

Billy Ross sang The Silver Tassie in 1996 on the Linn anthology The Complete Songs of Robert Burns Volume 2.

Sangsters sang My Bonnie Mary (Gae Fetch tae Me a Pint o Wine) in 2000 on their Greentrax album Sharp and Sweet. They noted:

The air is credited to James Oswald, circa 1742. Bums is said to have witnessed the parting from his sweetheart of a young officer embarking for foreign service from the port of Leith.

Carolyn Robson sang Silver Tassie in 2003 on her Reiver album Dawn Chorus, and she and Moira Craig sang it in 2016 on their Reiver album Both Sides the Tweed. She noted on the first album:

A colourful melody with a wide range: the young soldier calls for a pint of wine to drink to his true love whom he is about to leave to go off to war.

Ed Miller sang The Silver Tassie on his 2009 album of songs written or collected by Robert Burns, Lyrics of Gold. He noted:

Although the first two lines may be from an older source, Burns wrote to his publisher Geo Thomson in 1793: “It is a song of mine, and I think not a bad one.” David Daiches was more complimentary calling it “one of his most brilliant performances”. It is a poignant farewell salute to love in the midst of natural and human warfare, made more effective by the use of specific place names from the Edinburgh area. Thomson, as on other occasions, ignored Burns’ tune suggestion and set it to The Old Highland Laddie.

I first heard it from Archie Fisher in the 1960s.

Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan sang Silver Tassie on their 2009 album of Robert Burns songs, Adoon Winding Nith. This track was also included in 2013 on her anthology Ten Years.

Gillian Frame sang Silver Tassie on her 2016 album Pendulum. She noted:

I am delighted to have Adam Holmes featuring on this song which is a Frame family favourite.

Lyrics

My Bony Mary in Scots Musical Museum

Go, fetch to me a pint o’ wine
And fill it in a silver tassie;
That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonie lassie.
The boat rocks at the Pier o’ Leith,
Fu’ loud the wind blaws frae the Ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bony Mary.

The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are ranked ready;
The shouts o’ war are heard a far,
The battle closes deep and bloody:
It’s not the roar o’ sea or shore,
Wad mak’ me langer wish tae tarry;
Nor shouts o’ war that’s heard afar,
It’s leavin’ thee, my bony Mary!

Come, Fetch to Me a Pint o’ Wine in A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice

Come, fetch to me a pint o’ wine,
And fill it in a silver tassie,
That I may drink before I go
A service to my bonny lassie.
The boat rocks at the pier of Leith,
Fu’ loud the wind blaws frae the ferry,
The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
And I maun leave my bonny Mary.

The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glitt’ring spears are ranked ready;
The shouts o’ war are heard afar,
The battle closes deep and bloody:
It’s not the roar o’ sea or shore,
Wou’d makw me longer wish to tarry;
Nor shouts o’ war that’s heard afar,
It’s leavin’ thee, my bonny Mary!

Jean Redpath sings Silver Tassie

Gae fetch tae me a pint o’ wine
And fill it in a silver tassie,
That I may drink, before I go,
A service tae my bonnie lassie.
The boat rocks at the Pier o’ Leith,
Fu’ loud the wind blaws frae the Ferry;
The ship rides by the Berwick Law,
And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.

The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glistening spears are ranked ready;
The shouts o’ war are heard afar,
The battle closes, thick and bloody.
But it’s not the roar o’ sea or shore
Wad mak’ me langer wish tae tarry,
Nor shouts o’ war that’s heard afar,
It’s leavin’ thee, my bonnie Mary!

(repeat first verse)